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.

The escalation was designed to show the world that Iran was a "paper tiger", said Fawaz Gerges, professor of International Relations at London School of Economics.

From BBC

We have 11 months to find out if this paper tiger can become a real one.

From Salon

“We were planning to make some gains and take prisoners to exchange them. This army was a paper tiger.”

From Seattle Times

It has shown to the world that Russia is in fact the paper tiger, and that the real challenge to American supremacy is actually China, not Russia.

From Washington Times

Never mind that Tom Collins was a figure of the late Victorian imagination, a paper tiger used purely to agitate and dismay one’s friends for the purposes of entertainment.

From Seattle Times