How to Use on paper in a Sentence

on paper

phrase
  • The Dutch are favored, but this is the closest match of the day on paper.
    — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • The joke, at first, was how ill-suited for the gig Friedland was on paper.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
  • Germany is far better than any of the teams Paraguay has played so far, on paper at least.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
  • The team member who seems fine on paper but is quietly pulling the culture in the wrong direction.
    — David Salerno, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Think about the thrill of discovery when the pictures finally emerge as objects on paper.
    — Rotem Rozental, The Conversation, 29 June 2026
  • On balance, the route of England finishing as group winners appeals slightly more, on paper.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 27 June 2026
  • The Sixers are closer to New York on paper but will lack the cohesiveness the Knicks have built.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Win there, and the winner of Australia against Egypt in Atlanta awaits — a path that, on paper, is as favourable as any contender in the draw.
    — Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • Everything in the 1990s was still on paper, from worksheets and book reports to spelling tests and art projects and maybe a note passed when the teacher turned her head.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 30 June 2026
  • The investment framework Colorado needs already exists on paper; the obstacle is access to it.
    — Kelly Fleming, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Even a quarterfinal against Colombia or Switzerland isn’t that hard on paper compared to other potential matchups.
    — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • The work week America built Adam Smith divided labor in his pin factory on paper in 1776.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Then participants draw their individual targets on paper with colored markers that Fadel provides.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • An endpoint detection platform that isn’t fully deployed, backups that haven’t been tested or identity systems riddled with legacy accounts may look adequate on paper.
    — Ben Tercha, Forbes.com, 26 Feb. 2026
  • These plans may seem airtight on paper, but how our broader team communicates and executes on what’s envisioned is ultimately what determines our overall impact on the business.
    — Stephanie Manzelli, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Attempts to put single properties into separate LLCs sounds good on paper, but may cause problems in acquiring insurance on the properties at the best rates.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The traditional approach of filling out work orders on paper and manually entering them into a compliance ledger days later is a massive liability.
    — Ed Garibian, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • For Medicaid expansion enrollees with serious health conditions, the answer may decide whether an exemption functions as a real safeguard or remains only a promise on paper.
    — Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • But that career-best production didn’t deter the Celtics from trading Brown within the Atlantic Division in a move that, on paper, makes their roster worse and Philadelphia’s better.
    — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 2 July 2026
  • The Tool Is Not The Bottleneck If a developer can use AI to produce in two hours what might have taken several days, that looks like a breakthrough—on paper.
    — Maksim Belov, Forbes.com, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The Emotional Dividend Starts Immediately Most alternative assets exist only on paper.
    — William Jones, USA Today, 29 June 2026
  • All of this came after Florida’s four trades for star forward Brady Tkachuk, starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom, backup goaltender Akira Schmid and fourth-line forward Garnet Hathaway to fortify what on paper was already a stout roster.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on paper.' 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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