Sometimes, people don’t want to face the truth. They might ignore what’s happening or pretend something isn’t real. In the United States, we use fun and simple sayings, called idioms, to describe these moments. These idioms help us talk about how people act when they’re in denial.
Idioms about denial are used every day in America. They show how someone avoids facts or tries to hide their feelings. You might hear them in school, at home, or even on TV. In this article, you’ll learn what these idioms mean, how to use them, and why they matter.
Idioms About Denial
1. Bury your head in the sand
Meaning: To ignore a problem and hope it goes away.
Example Sentence:
• He buried his head in the sand instead of studying for the test.
• Mom told Dad not to bury his head in the sand about the bills.
Other ways to say: Avoid the truth, pretend nothing’s wrong
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the old belief that ostriches hide their heads in the sand when scared.
Usage: Often used when someone avoids facing facts.
2. In denial
Meaning: Refusing to accept the truth.
Example Sentence:
• She’s in denial about how bad her grades are.
• He stayed in denial after his team lost.
Other ways to say: Won’t face the truth, can’t accept reality
Fun Fact/Origin: Popular in the USA through psychology and talk shows.
Usage: Used when someone rejects obvious facts.
3. Turn a blind eye
Meaning: To ignore something wrong on purpose.
Example Sentence:
• The teacher turned a blind eye to the noise.
• He turned a blind eye to the mess in his room.
Other ways to say: Ignore, look the other way
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from a story about a British admiral using his blind eye to avoid orders.
Usage: Used when someone pretends not to notice.
4. Look the other way
Meaning: To not pay attention to something wrong.
Example Sentence:
• She looked the other way when her brother lied.
• The coach looked the other way during the fight.
Other ways to say: Pretend not to see, avoid facing it
Fun Fact/Origin: Commonly used in US schools and news.
Usage: Describes avoiding a problem on purpose.
5. Sweep under the rug
Meaning: To hide something embarrassing.
Example Sentence:
• They swept the broken vase under the rug.
• The company tried to sweep the mistake under the rug.
Other ways to say: Hide the truth, cover up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from literally hiding dirt under a rug.
Usage: Often used when people don’t want others to find out.
6. Turn a deaf ear
Meaning: To ignore what someone says.
Example Sentence:
• She turned a deaf ear to the warning.
• He turned a deaf ear to his sister’s advice.
Other ways to say: Ignore, don’t listen
Fun Fact/Origin: Used often in American news and politics.
Usage: Used when someone acts like they didn’t hear.
7. Put it on the back burner
Meaning: To delay or ignore something for later.
Example Sentence:
• He put his homework on the back burner.
• We put the problem on the back burner until next week.
Other ways to say: Delay, wait for later
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from cooking, where the back burner is used for less urgent dishes.
Usage: Used when people don’t want to deal with something right now.
8. Brush off
Meaning: To ignore or not care about something.
Example Sentence:
• He brushed off the bad grade.
• She brushed off the warning about the icy roads.
Other ways to say: Shrug off, pay no attention
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in American slang and school talk.
Usage: Describes not taking something seriously.
9. Act like nothing happened
Meaning: To pretend everything is fine after a mistake.
Example Sentence:
• He spilled the juice and acted like nothing happened.
• She forgot the meeting and acted like nothing happened.
Other ways to say: Pretend it’s okay, ignore the problem
Fun Fact/Origin: Used in everyday US conversations.
Usage: Shows when someone avoids blame or guilt.
10. Play dumb
Meaning: To pretend not to know something.
Example Sentence:
• He played dumb when asked about the broken window.
• She played dumb about the missing cookies.
Other ways to say: Act clueless, pretend not to understand
Fun Fact/Origin: Often seen in American TV comedies.
Usage: Used when someone avoids trouble by acting unaware.
11. Pretend it’s not there
Meaning: To act like a problem doesn’t exist.
Example Sentence:
• He pretended the pile of homework wasn’t there.
• She pretended the mess in her room wasn’t there.
Other ways to say: Ignore it, avoid facing it
Fun Fact/Origin: A simple phrase used by kids and adults alike.
Usage: Common in family or classroom settings.
12. Stick your head in the clouds
Meaning: To not pay attention to real-life problems.
Example Sentence:
• He’s got his head in the clouds about school.
• She has her head in the clouds and won’t see the truth.
Other ways to say: Daydream, be unrealistic
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is also used to talk about dreamers.
Usage: Used for people ignoring problems by daydreaming.
13. Shut your eyes to
Meaning: To ignore something you don’t want to see.
Example Sentence:
• He shut his eyes to the bad behavior.
• She shut her eyes to the mess in the kitchen.
Other ways to say: Avoid seeing, ignore on purpose
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in books and movies in the USA.
Usage: Describes someone who avoids seeing the truth.
14. Make excuses
Meaning: To explain things away instead of accepting blame.
Example Sentence:
• He made excuses for not finishing his homework.
• She made excuses instead of saying sorry.
Other ways to say: Blame something else, justify
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used by students and in parenting.
Usage: Describes avoiding blame by giving reasons.
15. Downplay
Meaning: To make something seem less important.
Example Sentence:
• He downplayed how bad the damage was.
• She downplayed the problem with her computer.
Other ways to say: Minimize, make light of
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in news and sports in the USA.
Usage: When people try to make a problem sound small.
16. Pass the buck
Meaning: To blame someone else.
Example Sentence:
• He passed the buck when the teacher asked who spilled the glue.
• She passed the buck to avoid getting in trouble.
Other ways to say: Shift blame, avoid responsibility
Fun Fact/Origin: From old poker games where a “buck” was used to show whose turn it was.
Usage: Used when people don’t take the blame.
17. Kick the can down the road
Meaning: To delay dealing with a problem.
Example Sentence:
• The mayor kicked the can down the road on fixing the potholes.
• Don’t kick the can down the road with your science project.
Other ways to say: Postpone, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Popular in US politics and news.
Usage: Used when people avoid solving problems right away.
18. Laugh it off
Meaning: To treat a problem like a joke.
Example Sentence:
• He laughed off the mistake he made in class.
• She laughed off the missing homework.
Other ways to say: Joke about it, pretend it’s funny
Fun Fact/Origin: Common way people hide embarrassment in the USA.
Usage: Used when people hide worry behind humor.
19. Dodge the issue
Meaning: To avoid talking about something important.
Example Sentence:
• He dodged the issue of the broken vase.
• She dodged the issue when asked about the test.
Other ways to say: Avoid the question, change the topic
Fun Fact/Origin: “Dodge” is a popular word in American sports too.
Usage: Describes avoiding a serious subject.
20. Shrug off
Meaning: To not show concern about something.
Example Sentence:
• He shrugged off the low grade.
• She shrugged off the bad news.
Other ways to say: Brush off, act like it’s no big deal
Fun Fact/Origin: “Shrug” means lifting shoulders — like saying, “I don’t care.”
Usage: Used when someone ignores something important.
21. Pretend to forget
Meaning: To act like you don’t remember something.
Example Sentence:
• He pretended to forget his chore.
• She pretended to forget the question.
Other ways to say: Fake memory loss, act clueless
Fun Fact/Origin: Kids often use this to stay out of trouble.
Usage: When someone doesn’t want to admit the truth.
22. Avoid the elephant in the room
Meaning: To ignore a big, obvious problem.
Example Sentence:
• They avoided the elephant in the room — the broken TV.
• Nobody talked about the bad grade. It was the elephant in the room.
Other ways to say: Ignore the big issue, pretend everything’s okay
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is very popular in American TV shows and workplaces.
Usage: Describes ignoring a huge problem that everyone sees.
23. Close your eyes to
Meaning: To pretend you don’t see a problem.
Example Sentence:
• She closed her eyes to the broken rules.
• He closed his eyes to the mess in the kitchen.
Other ways to say: Look away, ignore
Fun Fact/Origin: Related to turning a blind eye.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t want to deal with an issue.
24. Act like you didn’t hear
Meaning: To pretend not to hear something important.
Example Sentence:
• He acted like he didn’t hear the teacher call his name.
• She acted like she didn’t hear the alarm clock.
Other ways to say: Ignore, pretend to be deaf
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in homes and classrooms across the USA.
Usage: Describes avoiding responsibility by ignoring sound.
25. Pretend everything is fine
Meaning: To act happy when things aren’t going well.
Example Sentence:
• She pretended everything was fine after the fight.
• He smiled and acted like everything was fine at school.
Other ways to say: Hide your feelings, fake it
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in stories and movies to show bravery or fear.
Usage: Used when someone hides their emotions.
Quiz: Idioms About Denial
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning for each idiom. Each question has one correct answer. Use what you’ve learned from the idioms to find the best choice.
Question Key
1. What does “bury your head in the sand” mean?
A) To clean your room quickly
B) To ignore a problem
C) To take a nap
2. If someone is “in denial,” what are they doing?
A) Accepting the truth
B) Ignoring the truth
C) Making jokes
3. What does it mean to “sweep something under the rug”?
A) To clean the floor
B) To hide something wrong
C) To decorate the house
4. If you “turn a blind eye,” what are you doing?
A) Watching closely
B) Ignoring something wrong
C) Sleeping
5. What does “play dumb” mean?
A) To act silly on purpose
B) To pretend you don’t know something
C) To forget everything
6. If someone “makes excuses,” what are they doing?
A) Telling the full truth
B) Trying to avoid blame
C) Helping a friend
7. What does it mean to “pass the buck”?
A) Give money away
B) Share a snack
C) Blame someone else
8. If someone “downplays” a problem, what are they doing?
A) Making it sound smaller than it is
B) Solving it fast
C) Yelling about it
9. What does “laugh it off” mean?
A) Crying loudly
B) Telling jokes about a problem
C) Making a serious plan
10. What does it mean to “avoid the elephant in the room”?
A) Talk about a zoo
B) Hide from a scary animal
C) Ignore a big problem everyone sees
Answer Key
- B – To ignore a problem
- B – Ignoring the truth
- B – To hide something wrong
- B – Ignoring something wrong
- B – To pretend you don’t know something
- B – Trying to avoid blame
- C – Blame someone else
- A – Making it sound smaller than it is
- B – Telling jokes about a problem
- C – Ignore a big problem everyone sees
Wrapping Up
Idioms about denial help us explain when someone avoids the truth. In the USA, people use these phrases in daily life—at home, in school, and even at work. These idioms make language more colorful and help describe tricky situations in simple ways.
By learning these expressions, you can understand others better and speak in ways that feel more natural to Americans. Keep listening for them in conversations—you’ll start noticing them everywhere.
