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

The twist is the headline-generator, sure, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

These lawsuits are the tip of the iceberg.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

"We are potentially only seeing the tip of the iceberg," Dr. Tordjman said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

The reported incidents flagged by Anthropic are “only the tip of the iceberg of actual usage for this type of data generation,” said Lambert.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026

Bran came up with this: “Rich girl escapes while poor artist drowns when mega-ship sees only the tip of the iceberg and sinks as the crew rearranges the deck chairs while the band plays on.”

From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg

Related Words

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