tip of the iceberg

Cultural  

1. Only a hint or suggestion of a much larger or more complex issue or problem: “The money missing from petty cash was only the tip of the iceberg of financial mismanagement.” This phrase alludes to the fact that the bulk of a floating iceberg is concealed beneath the water, leaving only a small portion, its tip, visible above.

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tip of the iceberg Idioms  

1. Superficial evidence of a much larger problem, as in Laying off a hundred workers is only the tip of the iceberg. This idiom alludes to the structure of an iceberg, most of whose bulk lies underwater. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tip of the iceberg

Campaigners tell the paper that the 2,729 blades entering the country in the first half of the year "could be just the tip of the iceberg".

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

As always, the actual complaints are just the tip of the iceberg.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

What we’ve uncovered is just the tip of the iceberg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

"Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg."

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

The rat she brought to school was only the tip of the iceberg.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• cursory
• frivolous
• one-dimensional
• perfunctory
• silly
• sketchy
• slight
• trivial