verb phrase🎓 English idiom
bury the hatchet
to make peace and end a quarrel
What it means
To make peace and end a quarrel or conflict, agreeing to forgive past disagreements. It is used when former opponents decide to put their differences aside.
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Examples
- After years of rivalry, the two brothers finally buried the hatchet.
- Let's bury the hatchet and start working together as a team.
- The neighbours buried the hatchet over the long-running fence dispute.
- It's time we buried the hatchet and forgot that old argument.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from a Native American custom in which leaders literally buried weapons such as tomahawks to mark the end of hostilities and the start of peace.
Related idioms
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