on paper

Idioms  

1. In theory, hypothetically, as in Considering casualties, on paper the Americans won the Vietnam War, or They are a good team on paper but not so in the field. This metaphoric expression contrasts something written down with concrete reality. [Late 1700s]

---

Example Sentences

It sounds torturous on paper and in some Reddit reviews, but it turned out to be an oddly peaceful way to brave, and dare I say savor, holiday travel.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some AI workers won’t let bots do basic tasks, choosing to scrawl their meeting notes on paper and input calendar entries manually.

From The Wall Street Journal

People who are immersed in AI often have some surprisingly old-fashioned habits, from scrawling meeting notes on paper to inputting calendar entries manually.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Arsenal signed Mosquera and Hincapie in the summer, we talked about how they had added to their depth on paper, but we are seeing the strength of their squad on the pitch now too.

From BBC

It feels like writing on paper, only your notes sync to all your devices and your scribbles are actually searchable.

From The Wall Street Journal