rear its head

rear its (ugly) head

Of a difficult, unpleasant problem, to present itself and force people to deal with it. Fundamentalist extremism has been rearing its head all around the world over the last couple years. I can't believe tax day is already rearing its ugly head again.
See also: head, rear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

rear its head

or

raise its head

COMMON If something unpleasant rears its head or raises its head, it starts to appear or be active, often when it had stopped or been hidden for a period. Now the same ugly forces of racial hatred are beginning to rear their heads again. The familiar pattern of violence is raising its head once again in the region. Note: People often say that something unpleasant rears or raises its ugly head. We will not allow hooliganism to rear its ugly head again.
See also: head, rear
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

rear its (ugly) head

(of an unpleasant matter) emerge; present itself.
See also: head, rear
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

rear/raise its (ugly) ˈhead

(used of something considered unpleasant) appear again after being hidden or forgotten: Political corruption has reared its ugly head again. Famine has raised its head again in many parts of the world.
See also: head, raise, rear
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • rear its (ugly) head
  • rear its ugly head
  • rear/raise its head
  • raise its (ugly) head
  • come to a bad end
  • come to a bad/sticky end
  • learn (something) the hard way
  • learn the hard way
  • get (something) over with
  • get it over with
References in classic literature
An unfinished coffin on black tressels, which stood in the middle of the shop, looked so gloomy and death-like that a cold tremble came over him, every time his eyes wandered in the direction of the dismal object: from which he almost expected to see some frightful form slowly rear its head, to drive him mad with terror.
Unexpected sunshine to rear its head this weekend despite Met Office forecasters predicting a washout
In a statement, ICCI President Sheikh Amir Waheed recalled that the circular debt had exceeded Rs500 billion in May 2013 and the current government, after coming to power, cleared Rs480 billion worth of debt in June that year, after which it was hoped that the issue would not rear its head again.
If there is one aspect of the World Cup qualification that does not rear its head, it's stories about players being bored.
Mental health from grieving to depression can rear its head any time in our life and thank goodness it is being taken seriously.
WITH the summer leagues due to begin soon and the summer finally starting to rear its head, Goals SC Liverpool South has witnessed some exhilarating league climaxes.
Confidence comes in waves and will often rear its head in your time of need.
Weather experts warn that the fine conditions might not stick much longer, t George Go forecaster at M said: "We hav high pressure ting next to th past few days, so Wales has d He warned peratures were back toward averages, arou five degrees lo Rain was al rear its head t end of the wee
Grey's forthcoming concept piece is called Hidden, so some of this material may well begin to rear its head on next week's date.
Dockery - who plays the daughter of the Earl of Grantham, played by Bonneville - told The Telegraph that the scandal which haunted her character in the first series would also rear its head again.
Sadly this is the last in the current series, but you can expect series 25 to rear its head later in the year.
Gen Richards, 58, told the paper: "Make no mistake, the global threat from al-Qeada and its terrorist affiliates is an enduring one and one which, if we let it, will rear its head in states, particularly those that are unstable.
Usually when the inverted yield curves starts to rear its head, the consensus of opinion is that it is conceivable that the US economy could be heading into a recession though, for the moment, the confluence of data doesn't necessarily point in that direction.
As is the nature of the business, designers and vendors said it may simply be the next trend beginning to rear its head. While releases at the most recent markets still included soft shades, like the very prevalent sage, it was said repeatedly that such quiet shades are about to give way to more lively colors, like celadon.
"For this kind of stuff to rear its head here and win feels frightening."