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3. cannot see the wood for the trees

cannot see the wood for the trees

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cannot see the wood for the trees

 and cannot see the forest for the trees

Prov. Cannot perceive the overview or important things because of concentrating too much on details. The information presented in this textbook is so disorganized that I can't see the wood for the trees. The politician's opponents claimed that she couldn't see the forest for the trees, because she spent so much time trying to solve minor problems.

See also: cannot, see, tree, wood