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3. take (one's) eye off the ball

take (one's) eye off the ball

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take (one's) eye off the ball

To fail to remain focused on or motivated about some goal, objective, or matter at hand. You can't take your eye off the ball just before this merger deal is supposed to go through, not when there is so much at stake! I was on my way to earning my PhD, but I really took my eye off the ball toward the end of the program.

See also: ball, eye, off, take