paper tiger

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They also show that the far left is something of a paper tiger, with disproportionate influence on social media and within urban Democratic powerhouses but with a relatively small constituency in the party nationwide.

From Washington Post

“When we feel desperate,” they wrote, “the credit system is a paper tiger for us, a shackle that can be thrown into the trash at any time.”

From New York Times

“This,” he said, “gives me a lot of hope that the gas weapon will be not only a paper tiger but will backfire.”

From New York Times

The women’s movement, she added, was a “paper tiger” that claimed to speak for the masses but whose roar was bigger than its bite.

From Washington Post

The law "is a bit of a paper tiger and presidents have routinely run afoul of its provisions", he says.

From BBC