# paper trail

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/paper-trail
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A written record, history, or collection of evidence.

## Examples

- Keep every receipt to create a paper trail for your expenses.
- The auditor requested all emails and invoices to establish a clear paper trail of the company's financial decisions.
- By meticulously documenting every transaction and correspondence, the investigator successfully constructed a damning paper trail that exposed the long-running scheme.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.