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
Based on an urban legend out of Bangalore about a malevolent witch who roams the streets at night preying on unsuspecting men, convincing them to open their doors by mimicing the voices of the men’s mother, wife, or sister.
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Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2024
The episode’s prologue features static video portraits of people in tragic news stories — or perhaps anecdotes or urban legends à la Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia — as the voice of Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) narrates the injuries, deaths, and familial suffering each of them accidentally caused.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024
Over the years, urban legends have swirled, suggesting that a horse really died during the shooting of that scene but each has been quickly debunked.
—Simon Bland, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
Maybe the Alexandria Historical Society or the Historic Alexandria Foundation could weigh in on whether my long-ago local history lesson has any merit or is an urban legend.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for urban legend 
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2024
The episode’s prologue features static video portraits of people in tragic news stories — or perhaps anecdotes or urban legends à la Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia — as the voice of Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) narrates the injuries, deaths, and familial suffering each of them accidentally caused.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024
Over the years, urban legends have swirled, suggesting that a horse really died during the shooting of that scene but each has been quickly debunked.
—Simon Bland, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
Maybe the Alexandria Historical Society or the Historic Alexandria Foundation could weigh in on whether my long-ago local history lesson has any merit or is an urban legend.
—Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for urban legend
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'urban legend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near urban legend
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“Urban legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban%20legend. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.
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