lose the thread

Idioms  

1. Cease to follow the sense of what is said. For example, It was such a long story that I soon lost the thread. This expression uses thread in the sense of “something that connects the various points of a narrative.” [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lose the thread

Then, something would distract him, and he’d lose the thread.

From Salon ● Feb. 29, 2024

The reporters by then were beginning to lose the thread.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 6, 2023

The problem is if they dump the puck, lose a battle or lose the thread of the play, as they often have, the offense doesn’t create much.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 7, 2022

I had to jump around quite a bit, and I imagine that people less familiar with the science could easily lose the thread.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2021

Several times I thought I’d lose the thread of the story, and only sheer effort kept it going.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Related Words

• babble
• digress
• meander
• wander