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
To call the viral moment in question the elephant in the room is to dwarf it.
—
Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 23 Sep. 2025
Come Monday, Whoopi Goldberg addressed the elephant in the room.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 22 Sep. 2025
Iacono recalled that most of the family avoided discussing the elephant in the room, but his son was the first to broach the subject.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Speaking to reporters following the team's 48-10 victory over the Bengals, O'Connell addressed the elephant in the room that is the Vikings' quarterback situation heading into Week 4.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
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Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 23 Sep. 2025
Come Monday, Whoopi Goldberg addressed the elephant in the room.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 22 Sep. 2025
Iacono recalled that most of the family avoided discussing the elephant in the room, but his son was the first to broach the subject.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Speaking to reporters following the team's 48-10 victory over the Bengals, O'Connell addressed the elephant in the room that is the Vikings' quarterback situation heading into Week 4.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
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 30 Sep. 2025.
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