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
Later novels routinely took inspiration from family members or former or current lovers; the 1980 novel that baffled Frank Kermode is a dreamlike fable about a man guiltily trying to have an extramarital affair.
—
Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Animated family films have been a staple of entertainment culture for nearly a century and offer a rich catalog of adventures, fables, fairy tales and dramas.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
The film presents a fable in which a cop and a machine find their way through the maze of this mystery, essentially arguing that law enforcement should have access to this kind of surveillance.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Animated family films have been a staple of entertainment culture for nearly a century and offer a rich catalog of adventures, fables, fairy tales and dramas.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
The film presents a fable in which a cop and a machine find their way through the maze of this mystery, essentially arguing that law enforcement should have access to this kind of surveillance.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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Making art is the axis of every lyric here, and his catalogs incline also to allegory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Coogler's Jim Crow-era film -- the rare horror movie to win the academy's favor -- conjures a mythical allegory of Black life.—
JAKE COYLE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The chief human resources officer at $76 billion giant Colgate-Palmolive, Sally Massey, dispelled the myths that Gen Z only brings high standards and chaos to the workplace.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Evelyn, like so many of her neighbors, owns a chapter in this tale.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Feel-good tale about a young female governor?—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The content of the speech was a litany of lies, fantasy and exaggerated claims.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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But that confidence in ourselves and our capacity was always a lie.—
Adam Frank,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Faustian parables unlock more interesting connotations when considered not in terms of politics, but of art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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In the parable of the cave, in the Republic, Plato compares human beings to cave dwellers who never see the sun, but perceive everything by shadowy firelight.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS BOLD PREDICTION – Cowboys legend makes stunning Super Bowl guarantee after dinner with coach.—
,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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The opportunity wasn’t lost on Shula, the rock-solid legend who sat afterward at his locker, openly crying, in a manner that stunned Dolphins personnel.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For a generation raised on viral clips of air‑rage fights and customer‑service meltdowns, the quiet order of a Japanese train car—no loud phone calls, no overflowing trash—reads almost like aspirational fiction.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Ginger Strand Ginger Strand is an American author of nonfiction and fiction.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the past year, their silence broken by the abolition of the police force, residents have started trading stories.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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This week was an exception, as Ronaldo became a story for not playing a game.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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