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

When customers make transfers that deviate from their normal patterns, the AI can reach out to confirm the source and maintain the paper trail regulators require. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025

Following a paper trail including auction brochures, receipts, newspaper clippings and personal correspondences, researchers traced the long journey of the last female great auk. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2025

Pederson was the only one reviewing and approving statements and the reports were saved to a PDF and then recycled, leaving no paper trail, according to the complaint. —Karen Madden, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025

Organizations react better when there’s a visible paper trail. —Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paper trail

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

paper trail

noun

: documents (as financial records or published materials) from which a person's actions may be traced or opinions learned