butt heads

phrase

Definition of butt headsnext
as in argue
to express different opinions about something often angrily Our boss tries not to schedule Rosie and Mark for the same shifts, since the two often butt heads.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of butt heads Louder plays Imani, a Black elementary school teacher who butts heads with Ben, a white executive, and wakes up the next day in his body after a mysterious escape room adventure. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 July 2026 Ron Howard recalled working with John Wayne on 1976 film The Shootist, where the veteran actor butted heads with director Don Siegel. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026 Snow sings about getting her princess groove back, butts heads with her Evil Queen stepmother (a campy Gal Gadot) and gets a little help from her short new friends. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2026 In the final embers of the match, Haaland and Gabriel literally butted heads, the latter appearing to shove his brow into that of his opponent. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for butt heads
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butt heads
lock horns
Phrase
  • When the paper’s management locked horns with workers during the 2024 strike, many staffers saw the use of AI to cut costs or counter labor actions as a betrayal of these principles.
    — Milad Jalalian Ebrahimi, The Conversation, 29 July 2026
  • European heavyweights France and Spain lock horns today in the first semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026
Definition of lock horns

Browse Nearby Words

buttes
butt heads
butt in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Butt heads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butt%20heads. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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