# see the wood for the trees

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/see-the-wood-for-the-trees
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Alternative form of see the forest for the trees.

## Examples

- You focus too much on details and cannot see the wood for the trees.
- The project is so complicated that it is hard to see the wood for the trees and find a simple solution.
- By obsessing over minor administrative errors, the manager failed to see the wood for the trees regarding the company's overall decline.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.