tunnel vision

noun

1

: constriction of the visual field resulting in loss of peripheral vision

2

: extreme narrowness of viewpoint : narrow-mindedness

also : single-minded concentration on one objective

tunnel-visioned

ˈtə-nᵊl-ˈvi-zhənd 

adjective

Examples of tunnel vision in a Sentence

His tunnel vision made sensible discussions on political issues nearly impossible.

Recent Examples on the Web

But my outsized feelings of enclosure and entrapment were the tunnel vision of a forty-year-old fear crashing through my long and studied insulation. —Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025

The film lopes forwards and backwards in time without notice or warning, Fabian Gamper’s camera often peering through keyholes and floorboards in order to reconcile the tunnel vision of being alive with a quietly Teutonic awe at the vastness of having lived. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2025

Even some Islanders, including Ace and Nic, voiced concerns about their tunnel vision. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

You’re trapped in tunnel vision as the moon and Saturn clash. —Usa Today, USA Today, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tunnel vision

• cablevision
• circumcision
• imprecision
• indecision
• subdivision
• supervision
• television
• abscission
• collision
• decision
• derision
• division

Kids Definition

tunnel vision

noun

1

: narrowing of the field of vision resulting in loss of side vision

2

: a tendency to be extremely focused on something or on a part of something (as a problem or plan) while ignoring other factors

Medical Definition

tunnel vision

noun

: constriction of the visual field resulting in loss of peripheral vision