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Synonyms

take the bull by the horns

Cultural  

  1. Take the initiative in confronting a difficult position: “You'll never decide what you want in life by just thinking about it; you must take the bull by the horns and try out a few possibilities.”

take the bull by the horns Idioms  

  1. Confront a problem head-on, as in We'll have to take the bull by the horns and tackle the Medicare question. This term most likely alludes to grasping a safely tethered bull, not one the matador is fighting in the ring. [c. 1800]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If your family has been slow to celebrate the debut of 2021, now may be the time to take the bull by the horns.

From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2021

But, in 1995, Prime Minister John Major - tired of persistent rumours of a leadership challenge - decided to take the bull by the horns and trigger a surprise leadership election to silence his detractors.

From BBC • May 16, 2015

"To me, it's an opportunity for somebody to stand up, step up and take the bull by the horns," Matheny said about available options, including candidates down in the minor leagues.

From Reuters • Apr. 27, 2015

Samsa decided to take the bull by the horns.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 21, 2013

I decided, both for his sake and my own, to walk up frankly and take the bull by the horns.

From The High Heart by King, Basil

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.