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the tip of the iceberg

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the tip of the iceberg

a small part of a problem or a difficult situation which is really much larger than it seems

Usage notes: An iceberg is a very large mass of ice that floats in the sea and often it is only possible to see a small part of it.

What you saw last night was just the tip of the iceberg. The difficulties we've discussed are only the tip of the iceberg.

See also: iceberg, of, tip