narrative

1
2
as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel in such narratives as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter," Edgar Allan Poe essentially created the modern detective story

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of narrative According to Lappé, these misleading narratives on causation also take attention away from more meaningful and productive conversations, like access to healthcare, childcare and research that promotes neurodiversity. Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025 The thriller takes an unsettling turn for both men, as the narrative digs into race, trauma and evil. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025 Sucker Punch crafted the world and narrative so that one flows elegantly into the other. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025 While plenty of notable narrative films and documentaries have gotten their start at Tribeca over the years, diversification has been the emphasis of late. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for narrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrative
Noun
  • Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Her stories began running Monday and will continue this week.
    Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • The two of them are tightly bound not just by chronology but also by the stratifications of class; Marlowe’s father made shoes, and Shakespeare’s father made gloves.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
  • But Longo also disrupts the idea of typical film-watching chronology.
    Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Featuring illustrations by Sophie Blackall, the novella wraps up the trilogy that DiCamillo largely wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Based on Denis Johnson’s beloved novella, Train Dreams is the portrait of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly changing America of the early 20th Century.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Trump does have a long history of suing media companies, including a handful of successful lawsuits filed on the 2024 campaign trail and since entering office in January.
    Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The preview feature, available now for Pro subscribers on mobile, marks OpenAI's latest attempt to make ChatGPT proactive rather than reactive, with the AI model conducting overnight research to deliver morning updates based on user history and connected apps.
    Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Here’s a good serving of specials for National Coffee Day, but remember to check the social media account of your favorite local coffee shop for more deals, too.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Today, Narrow Way remains closed, and the café's social media accounts have been inactive since the 2022 announcement.
    Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • If anything, his narration in the challenge was the most entertaining moment of the episode.
    Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • For Malina, narration is new territory.
    Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Once holding the best record in baseball at 45-24, New York finished the season 83-79 and lost the tiebreaker with the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild-card spot in the National League.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Total Chinese household savings currently stand at more than 160 trillion yuan ($22 trillion), a record high, according to HSBC.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on narrative

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!