the tip of the iceberg

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Example

“These complaints are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

tip of the iceberg

Component words

tip iceberg

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

bad news Informal · CEFR A2

an unpleasant piece of information; (informal) a person or thing likely to cause trouble

can of worms Informal · CEFR B1

a complicated problem that causes trouble the moment it is touched

get out of hand Neutral · CEFR B1

To become impossible to control.

red flag Neutral · CEFR B1

a warning sign that something is wrong

the writing on the wall Neutral · CEFR B1

clear and unmistakable signs that failure or disaster is coming

wake-up call Neutral · CEFR B1

an event that forces you to realize a problem you were ignoring

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

markdown