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
The crime thriller is understood to also be a political and moral fable, as the title, which is a nod to Greek mythology, hints at.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Her fable depicts twin sisters on a revenge road trip, setting out to right the wrongs of their early childhood at the behest of their estranged mother, finding some catharsis along the way.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026
The Family Stone actress penned her 2017 book about her masterpiece, writing that the inspiration behind her design stemmed from the children's fable, The Three Little Pigs.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The barnyard fable is as old as the barnyard, as old as Aesop, older than the Bible.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Her fable depicts twin sisters on a revenge road trip, setting out to right the wrongs of their early childhood at the behest of their estranged mother, finding some catharsis along the way.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026
The Family Stone actress penned her 2017 book about her masterpiece, writing that the inspiration behind her design stemmed from the children's fable, The Three Little Pigs.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The barnyard fable is as old as the barnyard, as old as Aesop, older than the Bible.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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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
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While a campus novel may not seem like the most logical follow-up, Williams' latest — which centers on the friendship between a misanthropic professor's assistant and a student — is another pitch-black allegory told in gothic, obliterative prose.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Another myth concerns interest rates.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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The result is a quieter map of Europe — one shaped by myth, food, architecture and history that most tourists never reach.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Noun
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There is a little more to it, as the tale of the boy from Yonkers has some of the same up-and-down flair of the Knicks and Mets during his Hall of Fame career.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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And hey, if this movie racks up the views, perhaps the next tale will make it to theaters, with bigger co-stars to boot.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Indeed, a dying wish and a cryptic clue lead the unlikely duo on a journey full of twists and turns, bad choices, awkward conversations, lies, fights, mystery, betrayal, and a dangerous killer.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
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In 30 seconds, lies are on your pocket phone.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Apparently all mothers, even surrogate mothers, were alike, but at least Adele no longer had to fear monitory parables from her real mother.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 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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The Spurs legends — David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen and more — were there, too.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Along with Kardashian, other major stars in the short film include Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland and more soccer legends make cameos in the campaign.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Clearly, the promotional popcorn stunts were effective marketing, inspiring fans to flock to comment sections and discussion threads to find out what was fact and what was fiction.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
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Its presidential reading room features thousands of books chosen by the Obamas, ranging from presidential biographies to best-selling fiction.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
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This two-story house has three bedrooms and four bathrooms.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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