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
Cohen payment paper trail comes into focus Jurors for the first time had an opportunity to see and hear about all 34 business records that prosecutors claim were falsely filed -- the invoices, checks, and general ledger entries that cut to the core of the district attorney's case.
—
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 6 May 2024
For a century, these deposit copies were little more than receipts in a copyright paper trail.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 2 May 2024
The company prefers e-mails to phone calls, since the paper trail is easier to track.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
That way, there would never be a paper trail showing that the two of them had exchanged messages.
—Zachariah Mushawatu, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2024
Investigators probing the Boeing 737 Max blowout say their investigation is being held back by Boeing’s lack of a paper trail for key work.
—Gregory Wallace, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Envelopes stuffed with cash were routinely sent by courier to girlfriends and parents, to avoid a direct paper trail to the players.
—Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
Sometimes even a meticulous paper trail and a polite request isn’t enough.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024
Moreover, trial protocols that require in-clinic pregnancy testing could create paper trails, which may pose legal risks for both participants and clinical research staff.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 June 2023
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 6 May 2024
For a century, these deposit copies were little more than receipts in a copyright paper trail.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 2 May 2024
The company prefers e-mails to phone calls, since the paper trail is easier to track.
—Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
That way, there would never be a paper trail showing that the two of them had exchanged messages.
—Zachariah Mushawatu, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2024
Investigators probing the Boeing 737 Max blowout say their investigation is being held back by Boeing’s lack of a paper trail for key work.
—Gregory Wallace, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Envelopes stuffed with cash were routinely sent by courier to girlfriends and parents, to avoid a direct paper trail to the players.
—Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
Sometimes even a meticulous paper trail and a polite request isn’t enough.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024
Moreover, trial protocols that require in-clinic pregnancy testing could create paper trails, which may pose legal risks for both participants and clinical research staff.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paper trail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Paper trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper%20trail. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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