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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tale
And director Michael Arden, the two-time Tony-winning visionary behind Maybe Happy Ending and Parade, keeps the production grounded in human emotion whenever possible, even amid the tale's over-the-top tones.
—
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
For the past few seasons, Evelyn’s been a cautionary tale about what happens when principled people fall under Mike’s sway.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
But the tale of the game would be those relief points, just crushing us on the glass.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Immigration tales tend to adopt a hybrid form—part elegy for life in the home country, part hymn to the promise of the new.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
For the past few seasons, Evelyn’s been a cautionary tale about what happens when principled people fall under Mike’s sway.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
But the tale of the game would be those relief points, just crushing us on the glass.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Immigration tales tend to adopt a hybrid form—part elegy for life in the home country, part hymn to the promise of the new.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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This show has always been a part of our love story.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The Bee’s Darrell Smith contributed to this story.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Powell knows the lie will stick and immediately vows violent retribution.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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We’re fed so many lies and people are talking about things that don’t hold much weight.—
Angel Diaz,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Shawshank Prison is perhaps Stephen King’s most iconic setting, most notably thanks to the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption and the movie The Shawshank Redemption.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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Directed by Clint Bentley, who wrote the screenplay with Greg Kwedar (the duo behind Sing Sing), based on the novella by Denis Johnson.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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He was acquitted of a misdemeanor count of inflicting injury on an elder adult.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
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Sampson is expected to be formally charged with multiple counts of vehicular homicide and additional felonies, Spectrum News reported.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Every offseason, the whispers of PGA Tour stars defecting to LIV Golf swirl like clockwork.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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This could trigger everything from whispers and misunderstandings to grudges that resurface in the group chat.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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According to historical fables, yes.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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At Dia, the cage has been reconstructed in full, complete with Hsieh’s boots and his tally marks gouged into the wall.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
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State tallies of new unemployment claims have remained relatively stable, however, suggesting that there hasn't been a big spike in overall layoffs yet.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In the six years since its debut, the show has become an internet sensation, with viewers online embracing the musical's campy humor, jaw-dropping stage illusions and sing-along score, with bootlegs of the production going viral on TikTok and YouTube.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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State scores, however, have been slowly improving since 2021.—
Caroline Beck,
IndyStar,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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