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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
Never afraid to identify the elephant in the room, her straightforward and compassionate manner was a welcome asset in any and every negotiation.
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Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 4 Feb. 2025
Melius Research moved to the sidelines on Advanced Micro Devices , but there isn’t any elephant in the room with this call.
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Alex Harring, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025
From there, there was the subtext from teammates about an elephant in the room.
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Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025
In addition to family obligations, Henderson said there is an elephant in the room, or along the avenue rather, that is contributing to the struggle of local small businesses.
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Mars King, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2025
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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
Articles Related to elephant in the room
Dictionary Entries Near 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 19 Feb. 2025.
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