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
The elephant in the room, of course, is the quality of opposition.
—
Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Key platform differences represent a glaring elephant in the room—like Mamdani's call to implement the Department of Community Safety, if elected.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
But the elephant in the room was never acknowledged, not by Fernandes Anderson, not by anyone.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
The other elephant in the room related to that topic was Kroenke’s involvement in basketball operations.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
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Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Key platform differences represent a glaring elephant in the room—like Mamdani's call to implement the Department of Community Safety, if elected.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
But the elephant in the room was never acknowledged, not by Fernandes Anderson, not by anyone.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
The other elephant in the room related to that topic was Kroenke’s involvement in basketball operations.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 June 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 21 Jul. 2025.
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