"Empowering Advanced Learners of English in Business and Academia - TOEFL / ESL / EFL"

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can't see the forest for the trees

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Definition


Obsessive attention to detail to the extent that one misses larger points and fails to understand the bigger picture.

Context : Business
Category: Idiom, Metaphor
Semantic: anal, detail, obsessive
Examples of idiom “can't see the forest for the trees” from Twitter
  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'kelachrome'
    kelachrome:

    This may be a case of "can't see the forest for the trees". Maybe I'll just regurgitate the textbook at her.

  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'mattekelly'
    mattekelly:

    I'm convinced that those who follow that show at this point "can't see the forest for the trees" Its bad writing people, bad writing. #Lost

  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'djmc57'
    djmc57:

    RT @nvldpp: You shouldn't waste your time on people that have no belief system or faith. They can't see the forest for the trees.

  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'chrisloos'
    chrisloos:

    @at3k @eclisham Yup, these guys throwing a tantrum over the streetcar wires can't see the forest for the trees.

  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'kyhan93'
    kyhan93:

    Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees. To avoid this, we need to have open mind and positive thinking way.

  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'josephbrady'
    josephbrady:

    Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees, but if you see the trees, at least you can avoid walking into one :-)

  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'EvaBaez'
    EvaBaez:

    Too many folks are so distanced from the issues they can't see the forest for the trees. How could they even fix them? Opens their eyes.

  • Default avatar for Twitter user 'PitterPatty'
    PitterPatty:

    Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees, but then an epiphany, you realize the trees are the forest.