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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Alex and Cole seem cordial despite there being the elephant in the room of their feelings towards Jackie. Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025 The elephant in the room still struggles to stop anybody between the hashmarks. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025 Yet unless lawmakers address the elephant in the room—funding fairness—the future will remain limited. Jeanne Allen, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Putting the 6-foot-4-inch-sized elephant in the room to the side for a moment, both sides have conundrums to resolve at opposing ends of the pitch. Jack Bantock, New York Times, 25 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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