1
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
this classic Christmas film is essentially a fable showing how every person's life has meaning and touches the lives of others
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2
as in myth
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature
according to an ancient fable the waters of the mountain spring are the tears of a woman weeping for her lost children
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3
as in tale
something that is the product of the imagination
the stories of lost cities of gold may have been fables deliberately concocted by Native Americans to dupe the Spanish
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
the fables that people tell themselves to rationalize their failures and shortcomings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fable
Lawrence is sparing in his style, the image desaturated like a vintage photograph, locating this fable in an unspecified future and past.
—
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
His storytelling has something of the fable about it.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
This fable includes abuse and hatred, darkness, magic, love.
—The Know, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
Modern horror is at the forefront of political movements and are the fables of our time.
—American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
His storytelling has something of the fable about it.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
This fable includes abuse and hatred, darkness, magic, love.
—The Know, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
Modern horror is at the forefront of political movements and are the fables of our time.
—American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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Through dialogue, Reason, Rectitude, and Justice help Christine construct the physical form of the sanctuary city while arguing through allegory against the misogyny entrenched in French society and literature.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Sep. 2025
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Virgo’s film takes that premise and reimagines it as a twisty psychological allegory, laden with weighty themes.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These subsidies were cunning, part of a decades-long effort to keep alive the myths that offshore wind energy is nearly self-sufficient and generates increasingly inexpensive electricity.—
Craig Rucker,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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Consciousness, human life, utterly in the grip of its own dreamlife, all our thinking and voicing caught in a web of surreal distortion, generated by our irrational yearning and apprehensions, our appetite for myth, our solipsism.—
Jane Ciabattari
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a battle between two undefeated NFC teams, the Buccaneers and Eagles played a tale of two halves that came down to the wire.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Told through empathetic interviews with his bandmates and family, Struebing’s ordeal becomes a tale of partial redemption and a lament about the failure of our justice system to meet the mental-health needs of people caught up in it.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The story has too many rich details to be a lie, and Marlon knows something of woe too.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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Schiff has been repeatedly criticized by the President, who claimed that the Senator had made up lies about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The parable of the Good Samaritan is Jesus specifically rejecting the idea of limiting compassion to one’s own group.—
John Fugelsang
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
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Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For six and a half years, Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt spoke to Ozzy Osbourne daily, and the day before the metal legend’s death from a heart attack this July was no exception.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
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The event is inspired by a local legend about a great turtle forming the island long ago and celebrates the enduring nature of Mackinac Island during the quiet winter season.—
Carol Cain,
Freep.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, shorts compete in the documentary, fiction and New Jersey films categories.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
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And, for that matter, real fiction—which is where character development comes in.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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Her stories began running Monday and will continue this week.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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