Weather & nature

The tip of the iceberg

A small, visible part of a much bigger problem.

Examples

  • The bugs users reported are just the tip of the iceberg.
  • Those late payments were only the tip of the iceberg; the company had serious debts.

How to use it

Neutral. Usually about problems, and often with "just" or "only".

Where it comes from

Most of an iceberg is hidden under the water, so what you see is only a small part of it.