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
Then there's the elephant in the room: Rushing to market could amplify AI's existing headaches like hallucinations and biases.
—
Bob Ras, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
While Liverpool will be delighted to have secured Salah to a new deal, the contractual elephants in the room — Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold — remain.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
The elephant in the room Fair warning: This item is going to discuss the Dodgers visiting the White House.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
Instead, the elephant in the room is whether the technology is trustworthy.
—John Hall, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
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.
Bob Ras, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
While Liverpool will be delighted to have secured Salah to a new deal, the contractual elephants in the room — Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold — remain.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
The elephant in the room Fair warning: This item is going to discuss the Dodgers visiting the White House.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
Instead, the elephant in the room is whether the technology is trustworthy.
—John Hall, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 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 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share