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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Then there’s the elephant in the room, which any successful Democrat must tackle head-on: corruption. Alexander Heffner, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025 First, the elephant in the room: A change by ratings company Nielsen now gives credit for a quarter hour of listening as long as a Nielsen meter holder listens for just three minutes in that quarter, down from the previous five. Richard Wagoner, Oc Register, 26 May 2025 Inevitably, that takes us to the elephant in the room: Darius Garland. John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 May 2025 But the big elephant in the room is the bathroom closures. U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 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 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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