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
For someone like me who loves both science and silliness, this playful, surreal fable was a glorious read.
—
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025
His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Will there be fables about musical sand dunes on Mars?
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
There’s a whole other movie happening within Good Fortune‘s attempt to Aesop-fable its way to some moral about a modest life being a more fulfilling one even if you’re forced to live in your car.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025
His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Will there be fables about musical sand dunes on Mars?
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
There’s a whole other movie happening within Good Fortune‘s attempt to Aesop-fable its way to some moral about a modest life being a more fulfilling one even if you’re forced to live in your car.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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The team’s hypothesis gets its name from a 2,400-year-old allegory by the Greek philosopher Plato.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
-
His canvases are populated by allegories.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Because of this rare condition, superstitions and myths have permeated certain African countries, both positive and negative.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Ignore the one-page resume ‘myth’ DeMase recommends certain nuts-and-bolts resume formatting guidelines to further help make it through applicant tracking system firewalls.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Some readers might expect an indictment of fan fiction and celebrity culture; Yi swerves, though, and creates a more searching and subversive tale of love, connection, and art.—
Erin Somers,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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In pitting his offspring against each other in a battle for the family empire Rupert Murdoch became part of a tale as old as time… A tale well told in Gabe Sherman’s Bonfire of the Murdochs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Whenever the president floated some bizarre policy idea, issued a new threat, or told a brazen lie about the state of the economy, Hassett would be one of the first people on cable news justifying it.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Our entire relationship was built on a lie.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
What kind of message would prime Jeezy have presented without the pyrex parables in tow?—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
18 Dec. 2025
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The wordplay is as colorful as the sonics are sedate, tag-team player parables sailing over production seeking a slippery middle ground between East and West Coast throwback jams.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The 2026 Golden Globes are uniting rising stars, industry legends and A-listers to honor the best of last year's film and television.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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Then the same crowd saw four more Panthers legends — Jake Delhomme, Muhsin Muhammad, Steve Smith and Wesley Walls — march through the tunnel and bang the drum again before the fourth period.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But in fiction, there’s a crew to think about and actors.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
10 Jan. 2026
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During her time at Old Dominion, Good took advanced courses on creative writing and the craft of fiction, according to one of her professors, Kent Wascom.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This single-story home boasts a generous living space with four bedrooms and two baths.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
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.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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