Region: General | Usage example: Fixating on minor edits, the team could not see the forest for the trees.

Can't see the forest for the trees

Meaning

Lose sight of the big picture by focusing on details.

Used when detail overload obscures overall goals.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Early metaphors warned against missing the broader forest when staring at the trunks.

Common in 19th-century essays about perception and judgment.