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Recent Examples of white elephant
The story of Hambantota is not one of China securing a geopolitical prize—the port is neither economically viable nor geographically suited for naval use—but one of Sri Lanka building a white elephant.
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Audrye Wong, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The meeting, which included a social time and white elephant exchange of gifts, drew 34 members from across San Diego County.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024
Its rival Airbus was the one struggling, on the verge of abandoning its $25 billion mistake, the A380 superjumbo jet that had turned out to be a white elephant with little demand from airlines or passengers.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024
More big stories Queen Mary, once a sinking white elephant, shows signs of remarkable revival.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for white elephant 
Audrye Wong, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The meeting, which included a social time and white elephant exchange of gifts, drew 34 members from across San Diego County.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024
Its rival Airbus was the one struggling, on the verge of abandoning its $25 billion mistake, the A380 superjumbo jet that had turned out to be a white elephant with little demand from airlines or passengers.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024
More big stories Queen Mary, once a sinking white elephant, shows signs of remarkable revival.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for white elephant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for white elephant
Noun
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Leitch produced the film, which was a passable Netflix throwaway hampered by dopey B-movie conventions.Will Leitch, Vulture, 24 June 2024
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Particularly in the final 30 or 40 minutes, Lashon steals a number of the show’s biggest laughs, making a meal out of throwaway lines and small gestures.Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
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But Herbert later completed a pair of clutch passes to Ladd McConkey that helped set up J.K. Dobbins’ 29-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining.Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
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Denver has given up an average time to pressure of 2.89 seconds, tied for third in the league, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Johnson: There’s so much rubbish talked about this.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
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Collins was mortified; the conga player was rubbish.Ryan Craig, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Noun
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One resident showed a reporter a photo of a trash fire taken earlier in the week in the building.Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
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The next holiday that will affect trash pickup is Thanksgiving.John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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What a waste of theater’s tools; what a sour, narrow use to put them to.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
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Such bureaucratic waste, not pegged to student achievement or employee performance, reflects a national norm.Wenyuan Wu, Orange County Register, 18 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Before those two scraps, UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal looks to continue his charge up the rankings against Paul Craig.Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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But after the feast is done, piles of food scraps and uneaten leftovers find their way into the garbage.London Gibson, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“White elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/white%20elephant. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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