narrow the focus

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   to make the subject or aim of something more specific and limited

   Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; often followed by 'of' or 'to'. Can be used with or without an object.

   Patterns

   • narrow the focus of something
   • narrow the focus to something
   • narrow the focus on something

   The committee decided to narrow the focus of the investigation to just one suspect.

   To finish on time, we need to narrow the focus of our project.

   After the first draft, she narrowed the focus of her essay to a single argument.

2. 2phraseidiom

   to direct attention or effort toward a smaller, more precise area

   Grammar: Often used with 'on' to specify the target. Can be used intransitively: 'The discussion narrowed the focus on climate change.'

   Patterns

   • narrow the focus on something
   • narrow the focus onto something

   The new manager narrowed the focus on customer service.

   Let's narrow the focus on the most urgent problems first.

   The training program narrows the focus onto practical skills.

Common combinations

narrow the focus of

They narrowed the focus of the study to teenagers.

narrow the focus to

We should narrow the focus to the main issues.

narrow the focus on

The report narrows the focus on economic factors.

help narrow the focus

This data will help narrow the focus of our research.

Synonyms and how they differ

concentrate

Suggests bringing together attention or effort on one point; 'narrow the focus' emphasizes making the scope smaller, while 'concentrate' can also mean increasing intensity.

zero in on

More informal and often implies moving directly toward a target; 'narrow the focus' is about reducing a wider range.

specialize

Often used for becoming an expert in a narrow field; 'narrow the focus' is more general and can apply to a single task or discussion.

Opposites

Word family

narrow adjective

having a small width or limited range

focus noun

the main point of attention or interest

focus verb

to give attention to something

Commonly confused: narrow the focus or narrow down?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “narrow the focus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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