ENGLISH
REFERENCE

miss the woods for the trees

idiom
Meaning

Alternative form of cannot see the forest for the trees.


Examples
SIMPLE

You focus on small details and miss the woods for the trees.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager spent all day fixing minor typos and missed the woods for the trees regarding the project's main goal.

COMPLEX

By obsessing over the individual components of the legal argument, the lawyer missed the woods for the trees and failed to address the core injustice of the case.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    babe in the woods

    A person who is innocent, naive, inexperienced, or helpless, especially with respect to an unfamiliar situation or environment.

  2. 02

    charm the birds from the trees

    To behave in a very charming manner.

  3. 03

    do me good/s

    [Cockney slang]wood/s

  4. 04

    does the Pope shit in the woods

    Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.

  5. 05

    give something a miss

    To forgo something.

  6. 06

    I never miss

    I am aware of what is going on; I know what is happening.

  7. 07

    kill trees

    To use paper.

  8. 08

    Miss Right

    A perfect, ideal or suitable female companion, especially a wife.

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