: unwilling to recognize or acknowledge a problem or situation
the government's usual head-in-the-sand response

Examples of head-in-the-sand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The stakes of these discussions—which have involved charges of Eurocentrism, head-in-the-sand elitism, even white supremacy—have at times felt existential, given many institutions’ financial straits. Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025 Probably a little more than the head-in-the-sand Democrats who cheer on her every media appearance might believe, but also not all that much more. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024 What is clear, though, is that the head-in-the-sand approach used by many current founders isn’t a lasting solution. Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 30 Sep. 2024 Considering that our organizations—and society at large—are aging at an accelerated pace, adopting a head-in-the-sand approach will prove increasingly detrimental. Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024 But to say Starship will not be a game-changer represents the same head-in-the-sand attitude displayed by Bowles a decade ago with his jokes about not waking the deluded dreamers up. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 26 June 2024 Climate change has changed that — no matter what the head-in-the-sand types say. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2024 Of course, sooner or later, these head-in-the-sand elites must face the reality that China’s rise is ending, especially as the post-investment-binge deflationary spiral begins to play out. Daniel Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2016 Rather than prop up her parents as easy targets, Bartlett lays bare their contradictory humanity over a 44-year journey from wide-eyed idealism to head-in-the-sand egotism. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of head-in-the-sand was in 1970

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Cite this Entry

“Head-in-the-sand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head-in-the-sand. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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