Meaning & use
the tip of the iceberg
A small, visible part of a much larger problem or situation that remains hidden.
See it in a sentence
The reported losses were just the tip of the iceberg compared to the company's full debt.
Investigators warned that the arrests so far were only the tip of the iceberg.
A note on using this word
This idiom is almost always used to warn that a known problem is far larger than it currently appears.
Words with a similar meaning
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