allegories

plural of allegory
as in parables
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life Dr. Seuss's story "The Sneetches" is a telling allegory about tolerance for people's differences

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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 allegories Mungiu may have a less sadistic streak and a more active camera, but the two filmmakers share a particular commitment to narrative indeterminacy, devising intricate yet incomplete crime-story plots that function broadly as sociopolitical allegories. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 There are allegories that can be read about fear of the unknown breeding cruelty and exploitation, but Disclosure Day is first and foremost a propulsive yarn with thematic roots in hope, truth, empathy and perhaps even spirituality. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026 Sci-fi stories about alien invasions have often functioned as political allegories for anxieties around empire and immigration, Lechuga says. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 June 2026 But if these movies are progressive allegories of beings transcending their differences, then Hoppers is a surprisingly blunt pushback to that notion. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026 Chandran’s reference to allegories suggests the adaptation is leaning into the arc’s political dimensions — the civil war, the manipulation of a nation by a Warlord of the Sea, and the cost of leadership. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026 These are tales of misplacement and metamorphosis — humans as beasts, beasts as allegories. — Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026 His canvases are populated by allegories. — Philip Martin, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026 In these allegories of dehumanization, greed, and hope, Marshall takes an unvarnished view of his subjects, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the past or succumb to nostalgia for a mythical, precolonial Golden Age. — James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allegories
Noun
  • There’s a reason why political stories are often chosen as parables for moral compromise.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As nightmare thought experiments shape the fight over how to govern a multitrillion-dollar industry, some experts say the parables may lead decision-makers astray.
    — Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • From Roma to All Quiet on the Western Front, Netflix has a long history of successfully campaigning for non-English language historical fables—but can this be the studio’s first movie to scoop the top prize?
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Few eras of Greek history compare to the ancient times that the country has become so synonymous with—the cinematic fables of Odysseus, comic-book lore of Leonidas, and philosophic creeds of Socrates are ever-present in pop culture.
    — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In your garden-variety ghost story, the protagonist is generally the haunted, not the haunt, and the tales themselves are generally about how unhappy the protagonist is to find he or she is haunted.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Soon, tales of loss, memory and hopeful closure become central to the buildup, along with worried feelings of climbers’ loved ones.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Allegories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allegories. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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