take one's eye off the ball

verb

To lose one's concentration on what is most important.

“One of the keys to success in business is never to take your eye off the ball.”

Opposite
keep one's eye on the ball
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Meanings

verbtake one's eye off the ball (third-person singular simple present takes one's eye off the ball, present participle taking one's eye off the ball, simple past took one's eye off the ball, past participle taken one's eye off the ball)

present singular third person takes one's eye off the ball · participle present taking one's eye off the ball · past took one's eye off the ball · participle past taken one's eye off the ball · alternative take one's eyes off the ball

  1. idiomaticTo lose one's concentration on what is most important.

    One of the keys to success in business is never to take your eye off the ball.

    1 more example

    But I regret the eye has been off the ball in recent years, and reliability, as well as service provision, is poor.

    2022 December 14, Barry Doe, “NRT review meets Christmas deadlines”, in RAIL, number 972, page 43

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
keep one's eye on the ball

Origin

From general sporting advice to look continuously at the ball as it moves.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

take one's eye off the ball. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20one's%20eye%20off%20the%20ball

MLA

“take one's eye off the ball.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20one's%20eye%20off%20the%20ball. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take one's eye off the ball,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20one's%20eye%20off%20the%20ball.

Source: take one's eye off the ball on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.