1
as in allegories
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in myths
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tales
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lies
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fables
The performance felt both virtuosic and repulsive, a goulash of hype, sloganeering, and calls to violence spiked with in-jokes, shaggy-dog anecdotes, and populist fables, all of it seductive and—in our dangerous era—familiar.
—
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 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
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Nurture the geese who lay the golden eggs One of Aesop’s most famous fables is the tale of the goose that laid a golden egg every day until its owner killed it in an attempt to get all the gold at once.
—Sally Percy, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Geminis have a tendency to speak of fables to protect themselves or to make their lives seem more fulfilling.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 15 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
Gossip fed the frenzy of the Salem Witch Trials and has been the subtext of one too many fables where mischief masks moral rot.
—Oriel Feldmanhall, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 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
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Nurture the geese who lay the golden eggs One of Aesop’s most famous fables is the tale of the goose that laid a golden egg every day until its owner killed it in an attempt to get all the gold at once.
—Sally Percy, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Geminis have a tendency to speak of fables to protect themselves or to make their lives seem more fulfilling.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 15 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
Gossip fed the frenzy of the Salem Witch Trials and has been the subtext of one too many fables where mischief masks moral rot.
—Oriel Feldmanhall, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fables
Noun
-
These are tales of misplacement and metamorphosis — humans as beasts, beasts as allegories.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
-
His canvases are populated by allegories.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
One of the projects, Ono Ghost Market, which was originally developed as a streaming series before being retooled as a feature film, will draw inspiration from Asian myths about supernatural marketplaces.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But the drastic measures that looksmaxxers are willing to take are lethal to one of their own foundational myths—the myth of natural beauty.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wrexham’s Hollywood script Ridiculous rise, incredible achievements, two very likeable owners and a working-class town and club reborn by one of modern football’s most famous rags-to-riches tales.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Different mythological tales point to the reason behind this observance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
MarQuetta Clayton, Rueda's attorney, showed messages from Signal that Baumann admitted were lies, including one about his parents being at risk of deportation.—
Kelsy Mittauer,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Both wars were based on lies about imminent threats from nuclear weapons to justify wars of choice.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Coogan was poking fun at tech companies’ impulse to name themselves after myths and parables, even when those myths and cultural artifacts have negative associations.—
Diego Lasarte,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Faustian parables unlock more interesting connotations when considered not in terms of politics, but of art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sugar’s place in the Surfers’ Hall of Fame was cemented in 2024 when the dog’s paws were pressed into the sidewalk in front of the statue of Duke Kahanamoku in Huntington Beach, alongside prints from other surfing legends including world champs Kelly Slater and Andy Irons.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Paul Thomas Anderson and Benny Safdie showed up to film Winter’s solo show at Carnegie Hall, and rock legends from Julian Casablancas to Jeff Tweedy to Patti Smith have lined up to praise the band.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Corporations are legal fictions — a game of pretend in which fictional entities are created, registering with the state.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
As much as with any director of the most intimate personal fictions, Wiseman’s nonfictions could be laid end to end and viewed in continuity, like the story of an extraordinary life.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Most players, these days, share those stories on podcasts.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The island is famously low-key, thanks in part to an ordinance that restricts buildings over three stories, keeping high-rises and big resort brands off the sand.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fables. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
