Meaning & Origin
The idiom comes from Native American ceremonial practice: tribal leaders literally buried weapons to symbolize peace. English adopted bury the hatchet in the 1700s.
Pronunciation Guide
Say it as BURY the HATCH‑et: /ˈbɛri ðə ˈhætʃɪt/—stress bury and hatch.
Usage & Sentence Examples
- Let’s bury the hatchet and move on.
- The two companies finally buried the hatchet.
- Family reunions are a chance to bury old hatchets.
Synonyms
- make peace
- reconcile
- patch things up
- settle differences
- call a truce