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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

But the elephant in the room is Russia’s war in Ukraine, which the Kazan Declaration stresses must be resolved by diplomatic means in accordance with the principles of the U.N. Charter and hints at possibilities for mediation. —

Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2024 There is an elephant in the room of the 2024 edition of the Fortune 500 Europe. —

Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 Oct. 2024 There's a lot of dancing around the elephants in the room. —

Nick Romano, EW.com, 14 Oct. 2024 Here’s the elephant in the room—Milwaukee’s defense might be their Achilles’ heel. —

Brian Sampson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 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 8 Nov. 2024.

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