elephant in the room
Americanidiom
Etymology
Origin of elephant in the room
First recorded in 1935–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Why do so few people talk about the elephant in the room?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
He addressed what he called the "elephant in the room".
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
On Monday, the climate-vulnerable Alliance of Small Island States said countries could not keep ignoring "the elephant in the room" and warned that anything short of winding down fossil fuels was "papering over the cracks".
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
The sample size, at this point, has to be large enough for Dave Roberts and the Dodgers’ management to discuss the elephant in the room with their lead-off batter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
I ask, summoning the courage to address the elephant in the room.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
