1
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
this classic Christmas film is essentially a fable showing how every person's life has meaning and touches the lives of others
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2
as in myth
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature
according to an ancient fable the waters of the mountain spring are the tears of a woman weeping for her lost children
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3
as in tale
something that is the product of the imagination
the stories of lost cities of gold may have been fables deliberately concocted by Native Americans to dupe the Spanish
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
the fables that people tell themselves to rationalize their failures and shortcomings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fable
Modern horror is at the forefront of political movements and are the fables of our time.
—
American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Featuring a score by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, the musical fable takes place in the fictional Cobb County, where its residents panic when their magical corn crops mysteriously start dying.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Her books occupy the borderlands of realism and fable, where the plausible brushes up against the impossible, and the laws of narrative logic are bent just enough to let in the surreal.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Cregger’s screenplay is one of the best of the year and brings to detailed life every one of these characters while addressing grief and group think, although none of these themes outweigh the thrust of his fable-like storytelling.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Featuring a score by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, the musical fable takes place in the fictional Cobb County, where its residents panic when their magical corn crops mysteriously start dying.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Her books occupy the borderlands of realism and fable, where the plausible brushes up against the impossible, and the laws of narrative logic are bent just enough to let in the surreal.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Cregger’s screenplay is one of the best of the year and brings to detailed life every one of these characters while addressing grief and group think, although none of these themes outweigh the thrust of his fable-like storytelling.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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Her 2020 duo of albums, Folklore and Evermore, channeled the sound and sensibility of indie rock, refracting her perennial personal themes through a dark, blurry lens of fantasy and allegory.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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The narrative serves as an allegory for a devastating real-world crisis.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Cortège Out on the cricket fields at The Los Angeles Equestrian Center, an experiential open-air event is bringing together dance, sound, light, puppetry, costume, myth, and robotic canines.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The myth of Chinese tunnels has circulated for more than a century.—
Beth Lew-Williams,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The tale is pilfered from the Aeneid, but Virgil would blench to see the curtain rise on Jupiter, dandling Ganymede, a beautiful boy, upon his knee.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel Hamnet imagined the relationship between the Bard and his spouse as an intimate tale of lust, compromise, joy, resentment, support, and sorrow.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Our family has been ruined by Denise's lies of promising to end a year-long affair.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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Harrison called that a lie, saying Welsh knew of university professors teaching LGBTQ+ content long before Monday.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
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Based on the children’s book Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth and inspired heavily by Zen koans (short Zen Buddhist parables) the show takes a mindful approach to storytelling that’s quiet and engaging for kids and adults alike.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
31 July 2025
Noun
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To celebrate its big anniversary, a special event will be held in Miami, Florida, from January 29 - February 1, featuring none other than legends Sir Roger Daltrey and Simon Townshend, brother of Pete, both of The Who.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Boxers from all over the world have grown up dreaming of winning the belts that legends of the sport once had wrapped around their waists.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Although Harold is not literary fiction’s first obsessive ruminator, what makes Muscle Man feel so plugged into the moment is how common the predicament feels.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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The arrow sequence, though, has a connection to video gaming, recognizably originating in a game called Helldivers 2, a science-fiction narrative similar to Robert Heinlein’s book Starship Troopers that covers fascistic themes.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Then, in February, after an early version of the site was ready, a story about Shield Seniors and Tejasvi appeared in the Dallas Observer, bringing her to the attention of the people at AARP.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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