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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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
Sean Baker’s bittersweet fable stars Mikey Madison as Ani, a 23-year-old New York exotic dancer who falls for her newest client, a Russian oligarch’s son Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn).
—
USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Nicole Kidman's fairy tale life turns into a twisted fable in the trailer for her latest thriller, Holland.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025
Yet the moral of Phaedrus’ fable of the soldier-cinaedus is that such deceptive appearances and actions might actually be strategically successful in military matters.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
In Phaedrus’ fable, the cinaedus is untrustworthy.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Nicole Kidman's fairy tale life turns into a twisted fable in the trailer for her latest thriller, Holland.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025
Yet the moral of Phaedrus’ fable of the soldier-cinaedus is that such deceptive appearances and actions might actually be strategically successful in military matters.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
In Phaedrus’ fable, the cinaedus is untrustworthy.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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Warfare cannot reconcile the difference between documentary and allegory.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2025
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And then Arthur Miller himself wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Entities magically endowed with life by the gods are not a rarity in Greek myth.—
Sofia Giannuzzi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Apr. 2025
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For years, a persistent myth has circulated in cannabis industry circles: that Steve DeAngelo—founder of Harborside and one of the most visible figures in cannabis reform—was responsible for eliminating California’s one-acre cultivation cap.—
Robert Hoban,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the most sobering cautionary tale comes from 1894, when a lighthouse keeper’s pet cat named Tibbles was introduced to Stephens Island in New Zealand.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Comments On Swift Horses is rife with drama — a tale of a love triangle between a young woman, Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones), her Korean War veteran husband Lee (Will Poulter), and his iconoclastic brother Julius (Jacob Elordi).—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In some contexts, [Lay] is the past tense of lie, as in recline.—
Sam Corbin,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps that’s what makes my lies defective and disjointed.—
Domenico Starnone,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Absurd parables like this one have been taken seriously by some of the loudest voices in Silicon Valley, many of whom are now warning that AI is an existential risk, more dangerous than nuclear weapons.—
Bryan Walsh,
Vox,
5 Mar. 2025
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Such a trend could be like the parable of the frog in a pot that heats so slowly the frog doesn’t notice it’s being cooked until too late, except that OPEC+ has very good thermometers.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Los Angeles Rams legend reportedly filed for the temporary restraining order against Jenelle Anwar, who has allegedly been following him since 2020.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Punk legend turned pop sensation Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary, revealing his rise to fame, battle with addiction and triumphant comeback that captivated millions of fans worldwide.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Rather than strain to add an arthouse veneer (or the climactic reveal of an animating trauma), Coogler offers a true synthesis between serious-minded fiction and B-movie camp.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2025
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The engaging historical fiction balances a serious side and a strong sense of humor with its two different main characters: While Benedict has conservative leanings, Bergoglio is a liberal seeking church reform, and their debate tells a tale of human understanding and fallibility.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Then, after young mothers and children who had just arrived shared their stories, the Holy Father returned to the sister who had been mentioned before.—
Mireya Villarreal,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2025
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In this story: hair, Virginie Moreira; makeup, Ammy Drammeh; grooming, Yuko Fredriksson; braiding, Lorraine Dublin, Angela Torio Rivera; manicurist, Adam Slee; tailor, Judith Grant.—
Malick Bodian,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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