WordValebury the hatchet
to make peace
In more detail
(idiom) to stop fighting or disagreeing and make peace with someone; to end a conflict or argument
Examples
- After years of tension, the two families finally decided to bury the hatchet and become neighbors again.
How to use bury the hatchet
This idiom is used when two people or groups who have been in conflict agree to forgive each other and move forward. It suggests a formal or symbolic end to a dispute rather than a casual resolution. The tone is often optimistic, indicating that both parties are committed to peace.
Common phrases
- bury the hatchet with
- finally bury the hatchet
- bury the hatchet once and for all
- decide to bury the hatchet
- willing to bury the hatchet
Synonyms
make peace · reconcile · end hostilities · call a truce · patch things up
Opposites
start a fight · escalate conflict
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use 'bury the hatchet' when they mean simply to ignore or avoid a problem rather than actively resolve it; the idiom implies genuine reconciliation and agreement to end the conflict.
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