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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tale
Lushly photographed and boosted by a few killer tracks, Daisy Jones & the Six delivers the lurid delights and downfalls of a satisfying behind-the-music tale.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
In this oral history, the people directly involved in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history tell the tale of Doncic’s departure from Dallas.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
Turkey's central bank offers the starkest cautionary tale.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Over a thousand people responded with tales of that one auntie who had time, disposable income, and dropped game on everything from business to love.
—Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
In this oral history, the people directly involved in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history tell the tale of Doncic’s departure from Dallas.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
Turkey's central bank offers the starkest cautionary tale.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Over a thousand people responded with tales of that one auntie who had time, disposable income, and dropped game on everything from business to love.
—Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Beyond the famous spaceships, X-Wing and TIE Fighter also brought compelling stories set in the Star Wars universe, alongside technical advancements like fully 3D graphics in place of the bitmap sprites of previous titles.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Ludwig wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news on Thursday.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The content of the speech was a litany of lies, fantasy and exaggerated claims.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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But that confidence in ourselves and our capacity was always a lie.—
Adam Frank,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And since Freida McFadden’s book series that the movie is based on has three installments (plus one novella), this may not be the end.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
6 Jan. 2026
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The Art of Conjuring is the first novella to be released by the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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If convicted, Taras faces up to 15 years in federal prison for each count of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and up to five years for possessing a gun within 1,000 feet of a school.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Traffic counts were taken during off-peak periods that do not reflect summer park use or event conditions, and core operational assumptions — shuttle volumes, curb capacity, pedestrian crossings, and rideshare demand — remain unvalidated by independent analysis.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fine, minimalist belts like this Cézembre beltcan be worn alone for a whisper of detail or doubled (even tripled) for stronger visual impact.—
Pooja Shah,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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But now the whispers are growing into a chorus.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The recently released fourth outing of Netflix’s massively popular Regency romance — adapted from Julia Quinn’s best-selling book series — is a twist on the Grimm brothers’ fable.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
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Later novels routinely took inspiration from family members or former or current lovers; the 1980 novel that baffled Frank Kermode is a dreamlike fable about a man guiltily trying to have an extramarital affair.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The high-stakes election drew 43,970 voters to the polls during the in-person early voting period for Senate District 9, according to an unofficial tally from Tarrant County Election Administration.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
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The final tally was a 17-5 advantage in shot attempts for Ottawa, and 9-4 in shots on goal.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Morning people did slightly better than the intermediate group, with a 5% lower risk of having a poor LE8 score.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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They were then weighted to create an overall score, OpenTable said.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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