scratch the surface

scratch the surface

1. Lit. to scratch something just on the surface, not extending the mark below the finish into the wood, stone, marble, below. •

There is no serious damage done to the bench. You only scratched the surface.

2. Fig. to just begin to find out about something; to examine only the superficial aspects of something. •

The investigation of the governor's staff revealed some suspicious dealing. It is thought that the investigators have just scratched the surface.

•

We don't know how bad the problem is. We've only scratched the surface.

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{v. phr.} To learn or understand very little about something. - Usually used with a limiting adverb (as "only", "hardly"). * /We thought we understood Africa but when we made a trip there we found we had only scratched the surface./ * /High school students have only scratched the surface of their subjects, and even after college graduation, they still find there is much more to learn./