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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And yes, there is the unfortunate elephant in the room. Pete Sweeney may 22, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026 Finally, near the end of his speech, Butera addressed the elephant in the room. Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 21 May 2026 Why Polarizing Topics Are Brand Land Mines Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Claire Bahn, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 According to Heisler, the elephant in the room is American Rescue Plan funding, which is all gone. Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 1 May 2026 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 28 May. 2026.

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