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

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.

The elephant in the room is that the Hawks didn’t land a whale themselves. —

Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025 Which totally ignores the elephant in the room that neither can stay fit for any significant run of games. —

Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025 This preoccupation misses the elephant in the room: the disintegration or collapse of the Black family, the prime engine for inculcating behavioral norms indispensable to success. —

Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025 Kavanaugh also addressed the elephant in the room: Trump’s desire to help save the app. —

Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Jan. 2025 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

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Elephant in the room.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elephant%20in%20the%20room. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

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