The Tip of the Iceberg.
English
idiom
The visible or obvious part of a larger, hidden problem or situation.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
The visible or obvious part of a larger, hidden problem or situation.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
The small part you can see of a much bigger hidden problem.
The tip of the iceberg is what shows on the surface, while the real trouble sits below.
It is used to warn that what you see is only a sliver of the whole.
"Just the Surface"
—
Looking only at the most obvious, superficial level of something without deeper examination
"A Drop in the Ocean"
—
A very small contribution compared to the vast scale of what is needed
"The Tip of the Iceberg"
—
The small visible part of a much larger hidden problem or situation
We've had five customer refund requests this week — that's unusual.
Five is probably just the tip of the iceberg — let's pull the full data.
I've only told you a bit of what's going on — it's actually a lot worse.
I had a feeling that was just the tip of the iceberg. Take your time.
The news only covered one story from that report.
That's the tip of the iceberg — the full document has dozens of serious findings.
