urban legend

noun

: an often lurid story or anecdote that is based on hearsay and widely circulated as true
the urban legend of alligators living in the sewers

called also urban myth

Examples of urban legend in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The plot follows a group of law enforcement officers investigating a series of mysterious murders connected to the infamous Route 666, blending supernatural elements with urban legend for a suspenseful ride through the dark history of the road. Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025 Millennia from now, will urban legends describe the horrific disaster that destroyed the string of American metropolises along the Pacific coast, from Chief Seattle’s Town to the City of Angels? Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025 Theories as to what happened became the stuff of urban legend and online chatter. David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025 Its interconnected tales, which evoke campfire stories and urban legends, wring morbid laughs and genuine scares in much the same fashion as Tales From the Crypt. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for urban legend

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of urban legend was in 1968

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Cite this Entry

“Urban legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban%20legend. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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