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 remains SpaceX’s enormous multitrillion-dollar valuation.
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Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 18 June 2026
All this means that China will be an elephant in the room at the summit, which runs through Wednesday.
—John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
All this means that China will be an elephant in the room at the Monday-to-Wednesday summit in the Alpine spa town of Evian-les-Bains.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
That is the elephant in the room.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
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Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 18 June 2026
All this means that China will be an elephant in the room at the summit, which runs through Wednesday.
—John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
All this means that China will be an elephant in the room at the Monday-to-Wednesday summit in the Alpine spa town of Evian-les-Bains.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
That is the elephant in the room.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 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 20 Jun. 2026.
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