To stick your head in the sand means to refuse to think about or confront a problem, hoping that it will go away by itself. The expression comes from the mistaken belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when they are scared or threatened, making themselves invisible to their enemies. However, this is not true, as ostriches do not hide in this way, but sometimes lower their heads to the ground to feed or rest. The phrase is often used to criticize someone who is ignoring an obvious or serious issue that needs to be addressed. For example:
- You can’t just stick your head in the sand and pretend that climate change is not happening.
- He stuck his head in the sand and refused to acknowledge his financial problems.
- She accused the government of sticking its head in the sand and ignoring the human rights violations in the country.