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misplace focus

[mis-PLAYS FOH-kus]
verb phrase
colocar o foco no lugar errado
1. to direct one's attention or concentration toward something that is not the priority or is incorrect
The team misplaced focus by spending time on minor details instead of the main objective.
O time colocou o foco no lugar errado ao gastar tempo em detalhes menores em vez do objetivo principal.
2. to lose sight of what is important; to concentrate on the wrong thing
She misplaced focus during the project and lost track of the deadline.
Ela perdeu o foco durante o projeto e perdeu de vista o prazo.
NYC Slang
lose the plot / get sidetracked
Synonyms
lose focuslose sight ofdivert attentionconcentrate on the wrong thingdispersar a atenção
Antonyms
maintain focusconcentrateprioritize correctlystay on targetmanter o foco

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desviar o foco
common usage in business and academic contexts
São Paulo
tirar o foco
more colloquial variant
Rio de Janeiro
perder o foco
emphasizes losing concentration entirely
Portugal
desfocar
more formal or technical usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

miss the forest for the trees
barking up the wrong tree
put the cart before the horse
lose sight of the big picture
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