How to Use paperweight in a Sentence

paperweight

noun
  • Place the paperweight or stones on the very edges of the plate to hold it in place.
    — Megan Arnett, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2018
  • Was it stashed at the back of some cupboard or put to use as a paperweight?
    — Hedley Twidle, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021
  • To her left, a stack of her recent pieces was held in place with a paperweight in the shape of a bird.
    — Anna Codrea-Rado, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2018
  • And not long ago, that big, immovable paperweight was ready to lift off.
    — Steve Hartman, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2023
  • It can be used as a decoration or a paperweight and comes with a sweet message.
    — Cailey Lindberg, goodhousekeeping.com, 10 June 2023
  • More collected rocks serve as paperweights on his work table.
    — Debbie Arrington, sacbee.com, 9 June 2017
  • So a perfectly good iPad may just end up being a paperweight.
    — Jim Rossman, Dallas News, 15 July 2021
  • Craft this pretty paperweight to secure stray documents on your desk or counter.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2023
  • But not everyone can use paper clips, chewing gum, or paperweights to pick locks—or hang pictures.
    — Popular Science, 15 Mar. 2020
  • Truman gave his Cabinet members paperweights made out of pine from the house.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Barbara, her daughter who was always like a sister and a best friend to me, gave this glass, clear paperweight heart, and the heart was gold.
    — Hannah Chubb, PEOPLE.com, 6 Sep. 2019
  • The car is nothing more than a large paperweight until a human driver hops into the driver’s seat.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 June 2021
  • Ever wondered if there’s more to that shiny industry award than using it as a fancy paperweight?
    — Alison Coleman, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
  • It was gifted by one of the school’s custodians and Linney used it as a paperweight.
    — Jim Seimas, The Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2017
  • The black hole paperweight is designed with dense black and layers of dichroic glass to create a swirling vortex on an endless backdrop.
    — Shannon Greeley, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2020
  • Rubio gave Leo a small crystal football paperweight.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
  • Bring on the ornate candle sticks, scrolling mirror frames, and whimsical paperweights.
    — Kaitlin Menza, House Beautiful, 19 Mar. 2020
  • Vanessa Hogge's divine porcelain flowers are meant for the wall, but are equally good as paperweights.
    — Sally Singer, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2018
  • The warrant for Davis's arrest sports a snapshot of the contraband--- a paperweight containing a fleck of the moon.
    — Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2011
  • Various trophies and plaques could be found in the oddest places, even functioning as paperweights atop stacks of paper.
    — Samuel K. Roberts, The Root, 2 June 2017
  • It had been set in Perspex to act as a paperweight, with a note in her charming schoolgirl writing—all that remained of the historic day.
    — Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 May 2018
  • After wiping the hard drives and master boot record, the program forced a reboot that turned the computers into high-tech paperweights.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 24 Mar. 2013
  • The proverbial dead battery is apt to make the self-driving car into a multi-ton paperweight, which of course could be said of any conventional car too.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021
  • Still, a surprise jolt or an unexpectedly large storm could turn the prize magnet into a 17-ton paperweight.
    — William Herkewitz, Popular Mechanics, 7 Apr. 2021
  • Joann Davis decided to sell the paperweights in 2011 after falling on hard times.
    — Kristine Phillips, ajc, 12 June 2018
  • In a world of unpredictable gusts, give the gift of peace of mind with a very useful paperweight like this actual black scorpion encased in crystal clear epoxy.
    — Anastacia Uriegas, Chron, 17 Nov. 2020
  • But don’t turn local plans into decorative paperweights.
    — Sean Parks, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Why not invite a little luck into a home or office with Hermès’ small but mighty elephant paperweight ($610).
    — Alix Strauss, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
  • When not disassembled, this piece functions just as beautifully as a paperweight or desk accessory.
    — Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Jellyfish paperweight $33 Shop Now Snow globes that stay put are paperweights.
    — Patricia Marx, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025

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