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
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Max later found Tristan and addressed the elephant in the room. Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 16 May 2025 In the Cotswolds, O'Hara points out the elephant in the room. Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 Finally, there’s the ever-present elephant in the room: entitlements. Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025 Complicating the dispute, of course, is that other elephant in the room — Shari Redstone’s desire to facilitate the sale of Paramount to Skydance, David Ellison’s company. Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room

Word History

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elephant in the room was in 1985

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Cite this Entry

“Elephant in the room.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant%20in%20the%20room. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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