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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
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.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share