elephant in the room
noun phrase
: an obvious major problem or issue that people avoid discussing or acknowledging
Examples of elephant in the room in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The elephant in the room can go home now.
—
Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The sample size, at this point, has to be large enough for Dave Roberts and the Dodgers’ management to discuss the elephant in the room with their lead-off batter.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Seven months is a light year in politics — and that elephant in the room isn’t the Republican mascot.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The elephant in the room It rarely gets discussed because there’s a mountain of goals by Edmonton that grabs all of the attention.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
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Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The sample size, at this point, has to be large enough for Dave Roberts and the Dodgers’ management to discuss the elephant in the room with their lead-off batter.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Seven months is a light year in politics — and that elephant in the room isn’t the Republican mascot.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The elephant in the room It rarely gets discussed because there’s a mountain of goals by Edmonton that grabs all of the attention.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
Cite this Entry
“Elephant in the room.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant%20in%20the%20room. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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