-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Examples of paper tiger in a Sentence
The new laws are just paper tigers without any method of enforcement.
Recent Examples on the Web
As Israel continues to pound leadership bunkers and weapons caches at will from uncontested airspace — at the cost of hundreds of civilian lives in Lebanon — the Lebanese Shiite militia has been revealed as a paper tiger.
—Robert Grenier, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Washington would be unwise to test the theory that China is a paper tiger that would back down in the face of concerted American action.
—Ryan Hass, Foreign Affairs, 9 July 2024
The problems are far beyond the Center being a paper tiger or a rudderless ship.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 7 July 2024
The failure to hit a single target might persuade Tehran’s adversaries that the regime is a paper tiger.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paper tiger
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1836, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near paper tiger
Cite this Entry
“Paper tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper%20tiger. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share