white elephants

Definition of white elephantsnext
plural of white elephant

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for white elephants
Noun
  • There are 19 castaways left standing.
    Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Other castaways include Season 1’s Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Season 2’s Colby Donaldson, and Cirie Fields, competing for the fifth time.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The study confirmed direct dumping by boats, with evidence of bags full of rubbish thrown overboard.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Researchers found evidence of bags full of rubbish being thrown overboard, identifiable by pile-up patterns on the seabed.
    Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Your dinner plates will be scraped clean even faster, ready for seconds.
    Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Iowa’s All-Big Ten point guard Bennett Stirtiz missed a driving layup off the backboard with 11 seconds to go and his team trailing 71-70.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“White elephants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/white%20elephants. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster