as in parable
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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Recent Examples of allegory
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
His aspirations were symbolic of Britain’s post-’70s modernization schemes, and could easily be read as a political allegory.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
These are tales of misplacement and metamorphosis — humans as beasts, beasts as allegories.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The horror film serves as a gory allegory for the evils that persisted in the South in the Jim Crow era in the late 19th century and onward.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for allegory
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
His aspirations were symbolic of Britain’s post-’70s modernization schemes, and could easily be read as a political allegory.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
These are tales of misplacement and metamorphosis — humans as beasts, beasts as allegories.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The horror film serves as a gory allegory for the evils that persisted in the South in the Jim Crow era in the late 19th century and onward.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for allegory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allegory
Noun
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Jesus, who speaks in parables, not in dicta or dogmas, provides us with a primary instance of the power of the nonliteral tale.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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On Sundays, O’Neal’s father preached hope from the pulpit, stories of his family intertwined with morals and truths and parables.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That Niall finds Ruben so alluring is natural to Gadd, who believes the notion of a valiant male figure has been bred into everyone via fables and fairy tales.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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On Friday, April 10, when those winged sprites took to the War Memorial Opera House stage for a seven-performance run, the whole tartan-and-gossamer fable felt more alive than ever.—
Rachel Howard,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 2-panel chart below tells the tale.—
Carter Braxton Worth,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
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Whitman’s poetry and prose; Melville’s early romances of the sea, Typee, Omoo, and Mardi; three novels by Harriet Beecher Stowe, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and the complete tales and sketches of Nathaniel Hawthorne.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Allegory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allegory. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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