English / idiom
Can't See the Forest for the Trees
MEANING IN ENGLISH
So caught up in petty details that one fails to understand the overall picture or core problem.
In context
01
They argued for hours over minor paperwork and couldn't see the forest for the trees in reaching a peace deal.
02
In resolving any bitter dispute, one must step back so they don't fail to see the forest for the trees.
Synonyms
miss the big picture,get bogged down in details,lose overall perspective
Antonyms
see the big picture,take a holistic view,perceive the whole
Collocations
fail to see the forest,cannot see the forest,unable to see the forest