stories

Definition of storiesnext
plural of story
1
as in tales
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel he's a talented writer, but his quirky stories will never find a wide readership

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2
as in anecdotes
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally Grandpa is always telling stories about what it was like growing up on a farm

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3
4
5
6
as in plots
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work the story proceeds at a pace that many readers will find a bit too leisurely

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7
as in situations
position with regard to conditions and circumstances management is trying to figure out what the story is with the accident down in the warehouse

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stories Some of the original board members are still involved with the museum, but hundreds more joined the effort, some volunteering, others donating surf boards and memorabilia, and many sharing their stories, including famous surfers from Eddie Aikau, Nat Young, Greg Noll and Donald Takayama. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026 Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026 So, while the average post-starburst galaxy is indeed gas-starved, the individual stories are far more complex. Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026 This newsroom-wide project brings fast facts as stories unfold — making sure our local officials and institutions are telling the truth, serving our communities well and following through on their promises. Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026 Their stories have repeatedly shifted and changed to suit whatever their current agenda happens to be. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 During the hearing the applicant also noted the new buildings would be four stories, rather than five stories. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026 Inside the media center, rows of workstations equipped with laptops and charging points allow reporters to file stories. ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026 Filmmakers have used the Civil War as a setting for many decades now, inspiring stories of epic military battles, romantic melodramas, and even satires, from sweeping Best Picture winners like Gone With the Wind (1939) to revisionist Westerns like Django Unchained (2012). Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stories
Noun
  • Such tales clearly advise against judging people on material criteria, or assuming value based on markers of religion, class and political authority.
    Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Someday, Victor Vodnik can regale his three young daughters, Ariel, Rose, and Viviana, with tales about his battles with Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Cutesy anecdotes alternated with triumphs and tragedies—a school district rescued from a ransomware gang, an iPad salvaged from a plane crash.
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Following the announcement of Lilly’s acquisition, Roberts shared these anecdotes along with the original investment memo and slide deck once used to get Kelonia — then called Elcano Therapeutics — off the ground.
    Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Plaintiff attorneys have built similar tools capable of producing polished demand letters, medical chronologies, and settlement ranges using massive legal datasets.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The Southern Sinagua people, hardy folk who lived in the area from about 1150 to around 1400, drew them to mark major happenings in their world, keep chronologies of celestial events or map out favorite Verde River hotspots.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The piece contends that while rumors circulated among political gossips and online, these remained unsubstantiated whispers that did not meet journalism’s evidentiary threshold for publication.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Garth, who poses as a Guardian and shares Mayday information with her in hushed hallway whispers.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The film centers on two fraudulent paranormal investigators who are forced to face real ghosts — and the lies underpinning their business.
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
  • More than half of that pile lies, waiting, in Evans’ coffers.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The plots of these shows usually center on a murder, which occurs not so much to end a human life as to inconvenience our star, who must postpone a brunch or a media event to conceal an inconvenient corpse.
    Libby Gelman-Waxner, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026
  • National security officials have long argued that the law is vital for disrupting terrorist plots, foreign espionage, international drug trafficking and cyber intrusions.
    Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Factors To Consider Using boiling water works for specific situations, such as borders, crevices, and small patches as well as tiny weeds with shallow root systems.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Portage police added that while some students play the game safely using brightly colored water guns, others have created dangerous situations that can trigger panic.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • House of the Dragon premieres its third season this summer ahead of a fourth and likely final season in 2028, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas, is in production on season 2 for release in 2027.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Stern has also published four collections of stories, four novellas, and two children’s books, all of them steeped in Jewish folklore.
    Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stories. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

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