connect the dots
Verb
Meaning
(literally) To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific order so that the joining lines form a picture.
(by extension) To make connections in one's mind, arriving at a more holistic understanding of a situation.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgSynonyms
Related terms
Examples
From now on, I'll connect the dots my own way.
Our task, your task... is to try to connect the dots before something happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we don't want to see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction.
The parallels between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor are striking. In each instance there were warning signs before the attack, and in each instance our government failed to connect the dots.
What we're going to do is try to get TSA out of the human resources and personnel business and into the security business to connect the dots.
I think for new artists the hardest thing is putting the face with a name. People maybe heard our song on the radio or something but until they get several impressions of who you are - from whatever it is, whether TV or a live show, I feel like they don't quite connect the dots.
Connect the dots and wake up.