bring to a head

Idioms  

1. Cause to reach a turning point or crisis. For example, Management's newest policy has brought matters to a head. The related phrase come to a head means “to reach a crisis,” as in With the last break-in, the question of security came to a head. These phrases allude to the medical sense of head, the tip of an abscess that is about to burst. [Mid-1500s]

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Example Sentences

The request will probably bring to a head a dispute over whether to pour all of the state’s remaining money for the project into the Central Valley or reallocate some of it to high-speed segments in Southern California and the Bay Area.

From Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration’s decision to make a major reduction in Afghanistan, where violence has surged as Afghan negotiators engage in halting peace talks, in particular could bring to a head tensions that have intensified between some at the Pentagon and White House during a chaotic transition period.

From Washington Post

“We want to the courts to bring to a head because nobody else was going to bring this to a head,” said David.

From New York Times

Carles Puigdemont, a leader of the Catalan campaign for secession, is set to appear before the regional parliament at 6 p.m. local time in Barcelona, an address that will bring to a head more than a week of tensions following an Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sometimes seen as bring to a head, this phrase has its humble beginnings in dermatology.

From Literature