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 Michael Venos, a 46-year-old database administrator from Roxbury, New Jersey, has been collecting stories of Groundhog Day events and their weather predictions for about a decade. Mark Scolforo, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026 Her goal is to improve the health of our community through easy-to-understand facts and real people's stories. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2026 At Dar el Hanch, the home’s current owners will welcome you for drinks and share firsthand stories of the Saint Laurent–era. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 31 Jan. 2026 This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026 Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. Data Skrive, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026 None are stories that, in a vacuum, most news outlets would cover. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Jan. 2026 As for the defense's argument that Debe had a history of making up stories, prosecutors say this is unfortunately consistent with life inside an abusive relationship. Sarah Prior, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026 People have been sharing on TikTok stories of major unexpected life-changing events—often terrible events characterized by significant loss. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stories
Noun
  • Join me each week for these and other tales about Des Moines' and Iowa's surprisingly colorful past.
    Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Rockrohr used both sides of this visual coin, telling of groundwork done by the late Harry Teshima to bring Black residents into the community and tales of lasting friendships and stories of insults thrown at Black students.
    Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Apple AirTag There are plenty of anecdotes about why tracking your luggage is so important, but using an Apple AirTag is a reliable way to do so.
    Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
  • The anecdotes have always been compelling.
    Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Feb. 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
  • This requires a set of skills to interrogate the past by probing deeply, constructing and reconstructing chronologies, and contemplating counterfactuals in which different decisions might have significantly altered subsequent events.
    John T. Shaw, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The role Landfair’s family members, including Sparkle, played in fostering her relationship with Kelly, even as whispers of their relationship became screams, is difficult to reckon with.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Their great taste whispers, never overwhelming those around them, but rather enthralling.
    Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Video recorded by people on the scene quickly revealed those accounts to be blatant lies.
    The Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026
  • The novel threatens the lies of a totalitarian regime like the Islamic Republic.
    Azar Nafisi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • In all plots, black circles represent the mean value of each environmental variables at each site, and the lines the SD.
    GrrlScientist, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Some films linger in our minds because of their sharp plots, quotable one-liners and unforgettable characters.
    Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This makes vocal communication a reliable way — if not the only way — for dolphins to maintain contact with one another, especially when traveling, hunting or navigating social situations.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Such vague commands, the court said, leave agents guessing how to respond during fast-moving protest situations and expose them to possible contempt sanctions.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This anthology duo features interconnected novellas by Quinn, Suzanne Enoch, Karen Hawkins, and Mia Ryan.
    Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
  • The Irish actor, 29, leads A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a new Game of Thrones spinoff series based on a series of novellas by Martin, 77, that follows naïve knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).
    Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stories. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.

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