View synonyms for

tip of the iceberg

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.

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

We tend to only see the tip of the iceberg - which leaves open the possibility of more unexpected announcements.

From

Survivors group Grenfell Next of Kin said the admission was "the tip of the iceberg".

From

The Civil Guard say the discovery was just "the tip of the iceberg of a plot" of a global criminal organisation involving breeders, transporters and vets.

From

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” Rees added.

From

Ms Moroney said she was worried the cases being examined represented "the tip of the iceberg".

From

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

tip-off tip one's hand

Browse