the tip of the iceberg
noun phrase
: a small part of something (such as a problem) that is seen or known about when there is a much larger part that is not seen or known about
The news is shocking, but we may find out that the stories we've heard so far are just the tip of the iceberg.
Examples of the tip of the iceberg in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Its record-breaking solar and wind installations are only the tip of the iceberg.
—
Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The stilts are just the tip of the iceberg, if that iceberg were a colossal frozen banana.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
If this was the tip of the iceberg, what does the rest of the iceberg look like?
—Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
Mission Control and the astronauts were just the tip of the iceberg.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the tip of the iceberg
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Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The stilts are just the tip of the iceberg, if that iceberg were a colossal frozen banana.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
If this was the tip of the iceberg, what does the rest of the iceberg look like?
—Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
Mission Control and the astronauts were just the tip of the iceberg.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the tip of the iceberg
Cite this Entry
“The tip of the iceberg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20tip%20of%20the%20iceberg. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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