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

Hazle Township residents’ disdain for the $10,000 incentive is just the tip of the iceberg, Cook said. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026

Mississippi State is just the tip of the iceberg with a tough SEC schedule coming for Missouri. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026

In other words, the horrific revelations in the film are just the tip of the iceberg. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

The exercise was just the tip of the iceberg in what’s unfolding across the country. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026