Inversion ofsee the forest through the trees.
seethetreesthroughtheforest (third-person singular simple presentsees the trees through the forest,present participleseeing the trees through the forest,simple pastsaw the trees through the forest,past participleseen the trees through the forest)
- (idiomatic) To appreciate thedetails of something, as opposed to only focusing on thebig picture.
- Antonym:see the forest for the trees
1953, Gordon Canfield (quoted),Treasury-Post Office Departments Appropriations for 1954, U.S. Government Printing Office, page741:They naturally become very close to the personnel, supervisory and otherwise, and also the areas that they have to inspect, and sometimes I think they are unable tosee the trees through the forest or the forest through the trees.
1984, Robert Bruck (quoted),Effects of Air Pollution and Acid Rain on Forest Decline, U.S. Government Printing Office, page43:However, very often it is difficult tosee the trees through the forest, if I may make a pun.
2006 April 21, Richard J. Morris,Disability Research and Policy: Current Perspectives, Routledge,→ISBN, page99:To summarize, in a reductionistic orientation the practitioner cannot "see the forest through the trees"; and in a holistic orientation the practitioner may fail to "see the trees through the forest." Either orientation is not complete in itself, and there is no philosophical basis that is superior to another.
201612, Julia Kuo, Michael Wojtech,Drawing Trees and Leaves: Observing and Sketching the Natural World,→ISBN, page46:With a little understanding of the structure of bark, and the vital functions it serves, its details come alive, providing both a means tosee the trees through the forest and a bounty of colors and textures to enjoy.
