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
As Mercury and Jupiter clash, avoiding the elephant in the room can come back to haunt you.
—
Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
The end of Pittsburgh’s season leaves a rather large elephant in the room.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
And host Nikki Glaser wasted no time in addressing the elephant in the room.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
That’s the elephant in the room, right?
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
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Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
The end of Pittsburgh’s season leaves a rather large elephant in the room.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
And host Nikki Glaser wasted no time in addressing the elephant in the room.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
That’s the elephant in the room, right?
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
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 29 Jan. 2026.
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