Skip to learning
Practice

THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Scratch the surface

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

Deal with only a small part of a subject or problem.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. Our first lesson only scratched the surface of the topic.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

Deal with only a small part of a subject or problem.
Show the answer

Scratch the surface — Deal with only a small part of a subject or problem.

Try your own sentence (optional)

Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Scratch the surface” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

Deal with only a small part of a subject or problem.

Compare: Our first lesson only scratched the surface of the topic.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.

This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.

GO DEEPER

More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this expression when a discussion or action has begun but much more remains to explore or do. It fits study, work and general conversation.

More examples in context

  • The short survey barely scratches the surface of what residents need.
  • We have scratched the surface, but the full investigation will take longer.

Usage note

“Only”, “barely” and “hardly” often emphasise limited progress. Do not confuse it with “scratch beneath the surface”, which suggests looking deeper.

A short conversation

A: Did the workshop cover everything about editing?
B: No, we only scratched the surface. There is much more to practise.
A: Which part would you like to explore next?

One more practice question

A discussion only scratches the surface of a subject. How much does it cover?

A. A small part, with much left unexplored.
B. Every detail thoroughly.

Check your answer

A. The expression emphasises limited depth or coverage.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

Share this idiom