shut (one's) eyes to (something)

(redirected from shut his eyes to)

shut (one's) eyes to (something)

To willfully ignore, pretend not to notice, or choose not to deal with something. You can't just shut your eyes to your child's bad choices and bad behavior—you have to find ways to help them do better. Our boss would rather shut his eyes to the truth than figure out how to keep the company from going bankrupt.
See also: eye, shut, to
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

shut your eyes to

be wilfully ignorant of.
1993 Isidore Okpewho Tides In the last few weeks, it has become clear to me that this peace and quiet may elude me if I shut my eyes to the all too obvious suffering of people around me.
See also: eye, shut, to
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

shut/close your ˈeyes to something

pretend that you have not noticed something so that you do not have to deal with it: My son has his faults — and I’ve never closed my eyes to them — but dishonesty isn’t one of them.Politicians seemed to be shutting their eyes to corruption in the police force.
See also: close, eye, shut, something, to
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

shut (one's) eyes to

To refuse to consider or acknowledge: administrators who shut their eyes to pervasive corruption.
See also: eye, shut, to
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
See also:
References in classic literature ?
he had known that all along, but had shut his eyes to it, stupid and empty-headed: that charm of his concealed an utter selfishness; he was willing to sacrifice anyone to his appetites.
At one point Becks even shut his eyes to avoid the scantily clad girls marching past.