keep one's head below the parapet

verb

To avoid creating any controversy, and thus avoid being a target for anybody's criticism.

Opposite
put one's head above the parapetraise one's head above the parapet
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Meanings

verbkeep one's head below the parapet (third-person singular simple present keeps one's head below the parapet, present participle keeping one's head below the parapet, simple past and past participle kept one's head below the parapet)

present singular third person keeps one's head below the parapet · participle present keeping one's head below the parapet · participle past kept one's head below the parapet · past kept one's head below the parapet

  1. To avoid creating any controversy, and thus avoid being a target for anybody's criticism.

    Antonyms: put one's head above the parapet, raise one's head above the parapet

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo avoid creating any controversy, and thus avoid being a target for anybody's criticism.

Opposite
put one's head above the parapetraise one's head above the parapet
Cite this entry
APA

keep one's head below the parapet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20head%20below%20the%20parapet

MLA

“keep one's head below the parapet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20head%20below%20the%20parapet. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep one's head below the parapet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20one's%20head%20below%20the%20parapet.

Source: keep one's head below the parapet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.