tale

noun

ˈtāl How to pronounce tale (audio)
Definition of talenext
1
as in story
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid

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2
as in anecdote
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally asked Dad to tell once again the tale of how, as a kid, he broke his arm jumping out of a tree

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3
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive told tall tales in an attempt to impress me with her supposedly upper-crust background

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in novella
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty

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5
as in count
a total number obtained or recorded by noting each thing as it was being added when the tale of the dead from the disaster is announced, the city will be in shock

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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 tale The song provides the perfect title music for his life, a tale of love, blindness, and, above all, a profound sense of nostalgia. — Nathan King, airmail.news, 9 July 2026 The tale has been continuously retold, translated and adapted into various formats over nearly three millennia. — Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 8 July 2026 Mixologist will set table with libations mixed up from 18th century recipe, while setting scene with tales of the past and historical facts tied to the spirits being served. — Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2026 Kelce shared a little behind-the-scenes tale of the immediate impact Hill made at Chiefs practice. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
  1. story
  2. lie
  3. novella
  4. count
  5. whisper
  6. fable
  7. tally
  8. score
Noun
  • Cholowsky visited Chicago for a few days in early June, talking to coaches and executives, hanging out with players and listening to Jerry Reinsdorf’s baseball stories.
    — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Hawthorne recounted a story about the day he was drafted, when new Steelers teammate Joe Greene came to his family’s door.
    — Jim Barnes July 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 July 2026
Definition of story
Noun
  • When two young lovers find themselves up against stubborn, money-minded fathers, Scapin jumps into action with outrageous tricks, bold lies, and comic chaos at every turn.
    — Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
  • That includes everything from feeding the lie that Obama was not born in the United States to crude generalizations about majority-Black countries and posts that have sparked anger on his Truth Social website.
    — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • The whole gang is back, ready to play their parts in this never-ending novella.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • The Ferris Bueller's Day Off star recently gushed about working with Star Wars icon Mark Hamill on the 2025 movie The Life of Chuck, directed by Mike Flanagan and based on the Stephen King novella of the same name.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Definition of novella
Noun
  • Just under 800 people in Boise were homeless on a single night in January 2025, according to the Point-in-Time count, an annual tally.
    — Carolyn Komatsoulis Updated July 13, Idaho Statesman, 14 July 2026
  • Abdirashid Bixi Dool pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
    — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of count
Noun
  • But eccentricity is only the visible tip of the vast iceberg of Vibeke’s mental health issues, and soon Karl and Rikke are conferring in low whispers about whether, and when, to slip some ground-up sleeping pills into her drink.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • Students enter the classroom about a minute later, and voices, whispers and laughter can be heard before the recording ends.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of whisper
Noun
  • Explore the Wild West from the back of a rickety wagon as characters share famed fables about Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, Pecos Bill, John Henry and Hekeke.
    — Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • My dad’s stories about his grade-school experience felt like dark fables, peppered with slurs hurled at him by classmates.
    — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of fable
Noun
  • On Wednesday, July 8, 239 cases were reported, the highest single-day tally so far.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
  • The four-part Rafa follows him at the tail end of his career as the aging champ (well, aging for a pro tennis player) tried to win one more French Open crown to add to his incredible tally of 14 titles at Roland-Garros.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 July 2026
Definition of tally
Noun
  • Shortstop Miguel Rojas, who botched a grounder to his left earlier in the inning that enabled a run to score, was late breaking to cover third, leaving the bag wide open.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Standout features Easily cancel unwanted subscriptions, track your spending and credit score, automate savings and get help lowering bills.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Definition of score

Phrases Containing tale

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taking up with
tale
talebearer
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Cite this Entry

“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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