From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrear its ugly headrear its ugly headPROBLEMif a problem or difficult situation rears its ugly head, it appears and is impossible to ignore The problem of drug-taking in sport has reared its ugly head again. → rear
Examples from the Corpus
rear its ugly head• At Hubbard Woods Elementary an even more graphic example of the troubled world our children face reared its ugly head.• Clubs lost their authority and control of players when money reared its ugly head.• The spectre of restraint of trade rears its ugly head.• Hence the double bind attached to being appropriately feminine rears its ugly head again.• In addition, politics has reared its ugly head, all institutional efforts not withstanding.• One which is likely to rear its ugly head continually during this piece.• It rears its ugly head every time a similar shooting occurs at another school.• Unfortunately the same could not be said of the bad weather ruling which reared its ugly head too often. 