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
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Recent Examples of tale
Country musician Kane Brown's latest injury is a precautionary tale for future golfers.
—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
The autobiographical tale of family origins stars Llúcia Garcia as 18-year-old Marina, who travels to the glittering seaside town of Vigo on the Galician coast determined to uncover information on her father.
—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
Angèle’s narrative never catches fire and while Anei is striking as Ada, that section of the film feels slightly patronizing, reducing this immigrant tale to yet another strained salute to perseverance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Maybe the tale has a bit of the Loch Ness myth to it.
—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
The autobiographical tale of family origins stars Llúcia Garcia as 18-year-old Marina, who travels to the glittering seaside town of Vigo on the Galician coast determined to uncover information on her father.
—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
Angèle’s narrative never catches fire and while Anei is striking as Ada, that section of the film feels slightly patronizing, reducing this immigrant tale to yet another strained salute to perseverance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Maybe the tale has a bit of the Loch Ness myth to it.
—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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The Sacramento Bee published several notable stories Friday covering local government, public health and state worker policy.
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Noun
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The lawsuit alleges that this was a lie and that neither of LeVota’s tax plans were created at the direction of the state.
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Well, the first principle to embrace is work-life balance is a lie.
Noun
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Hemingway, who championed self-mastery, gave the old fisherman in his novella exactly one consolation out there alone in the Gulf Stream, the thought of the great DiMaggio, who did everything perfectly even with the bone spur in his heel.
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Based on a novella by Neil Paik, who is adapting, the film’s logline is being kept under wraps.
Noun
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Rushing was next, and also went long in a two-strike count.
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He was charged with one count of operating a boat or watercraft while intoxicated or under the influence and is set to appear in court in July.
Noun
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Theories, speculation and whispers were hard to ignore, but even harder to prove.
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The whispers about the 41-year-old turned louder.
Noun
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But the turtle/cat comment just sounds like a summary of Aesop’s absolute worst fable.
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Shortly after his election loss, Cornyn posted on social media a fable about a frog and a scorpion.
Noun
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That laidback electronic tune has spent four of its 12 weeks on the Official Singles Downloads tally in the penthouse.
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But the total tally obscures how there were basically two types of Davis residents, those living close to the project and those living elsewhere in town.
Noun
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De Larrea is a shooting guard prospect from Spain with a score-first mentality.
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National and district-level data confirm an alarming decline in student test scores over the past decade and a half.
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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