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
But the most comprehensive economic data to date on how prices are changing and how consumers are earning, spending and saving doesn’t fully account for the elephant in the room: President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policy.
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Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Will Smith is aware of the elephant in the room, as the very first line on his first album in 20 years quickly addresses the infamous 2022 Oscars slap where Smith took the stage and hit Chris Rock.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025
Thornton Hundred Addressing the elephant in the room – 400 horsepower.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2025
There was scant substantive discussion about the elephant in the room: what are Democrats doing to resist the administration’s overhaul of the federal government?
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
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Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Will Smith is aware of the elephant in the room, as the very first line on his first album in 20 years quickly addresses the infamous 2022 Oscars slap where Smith took the stage and hit Chris Rock.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025
Thornton Hundred Addressing the elephant in the room – 400 horsepower.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2025
There was scant substantive discussion about the elephant in the room: what are Democrats doing to resist the administration’s overhaul of the federal government?
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Mar. 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 14 Apr. 2025.
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