paper trail
noun
: documents (such as financial records) from which a person's actions may be traced or opinions learned
Examples of paper trail in a Sentence
They covered up the fraud and were careful not to leave a paper trail.
Recent Examples on the Web
That limited the paper trail: The DMV has no way to track unregistered cars.
—
Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
That report can also serve as an important paper trail for people when talking to their banks about the transaction.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
For a project explicitly designed to influence Congress, Steve Berger’s operation has left a scant paper trail.
—Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2025
Having a paper trail with time stamps can be vital in finding a criminal's identity.
—Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paper trail
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Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
That report can also serve as an important paper trail for people when talking to their banks about the transaction.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
For a project explicitly designed to influence Congress, Steve Berger’s operation has left a scant paper trail.
—Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2025
Having a paper trail with time stamps can be vital in finding a criminal's identity.
—Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paper trail
Cite this Entry
“Paper trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper%20trail. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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