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
In recent years, aided by the wider paper trail inherent in the shift from paper money to credit cards, the IRS started policing tip reporting on tax returns more carefully.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 July 2025
At this point, about 98% of voting jurisdictions have a paper trail for their voting systems.
—Ashley Lopez, NPR, 1 July 2025
According to Marcus, Phaedra used a middleman to pay him off with an envelope of cash, which sounds dramatic but, contrary to what Brit said, an anonymous paper trail is probably harder to track these days than using anything electronic.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 June 2025
But the paper trail doesn’t tell the whole story, according to the team.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for paper trail
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Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 July 2025
At this point, about 98% of voting jurisdictions have a paper trail for their voting systems.
—Ashley Lopez, NPR, 1 July 2025
According to Marcus, Phaedra used a middleman to pay him off with an envelope of cash, which sounds dramatic but, contrary to what Brit said, an anonymous paper trail is probably harder to track these days than using anything electronic.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 June 2025
But the paper trail doesn’t tell the whole story, according to the team.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 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 21 Jul. 2025.
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