The idiom “tip of the iceberg” means a small, noticeable part of a problem, the total size of which is really much greater.

It comes from the fact that only a small portion of an iceberg is visible above the water, while the rest is hidden below the surface.

Some examples of how to use it in sentences are:

• The corruption scandal was just the tip of the iceberg. There were many more crimes that were never exposed.

• She had a headache, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. She was also suffering from depression and anxiety.

• The environmental damage we see is the tip of the iceberg. There are many more consequences that we don’t know about yet.

• He apologised for being late, but that was the tip of the iceberg. He had also forgotten to do his homework and bring his lunch.

• The missing files were the tip of the iceberg. The whole system was hacked and compromised.