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

Duke Law is only the tip of the iceberg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

That could be just the tip of the iceberg that when it comes to further dealmaking, but there are risks for investors that can’t be ignored.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

It can be the tiny tip of the iceberg or the whole hundred per cent.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

Related Words

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