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
Instead, the elephant in the room is whether the technology is trustworthy.
—
John Hall, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
And even if Trump were to negotiate trade with all those countries over a short period — whether full deals or letters of agreement that put a framework of a deal together — China, the world’s biggest exporter, remains the elephant in the room.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Of course, there is one elephant in the room that makes circumstances slightly different in this case: the economic certainty today is entirely the result of U.S. policy.
—Justin Worland, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
Worse is the elephant in the room — climate change — causing ever more major floods, violent hurricanes and extreme wildfires.
—Richard Knight, Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elephant in the room
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John Hall, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
And even if Trump were to negotiate trade with all those countries over a short period — whether full deals or letters of agreement that put a framework of a deal together — China, the world’s biggest exporter, remains the elephant in the room.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025
Of course, there is one elephant in the room that makes circumstances slightly different in this case: the economic certainty today is entirely the result of U.S. policy.
—Justin Worland, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
Worse is the elephant in the room — climate change — causing ever more major floods, violent hurricanes and extreme wildfires.
—Richard Knight, Denver Post, 2 Apr. 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 18 Apr. 2025.
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