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
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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
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Recent Examples of fables
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
The Master is the greatest of them all, a movie peopled by characters who are at once intensely human and also the stuff of otherworldly fables.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Modern horror is at the forefront of political movements and are the fables of our time.
—American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Allusions to myths, fables, and riffs on common idioms abound, many of them evocative and quite funny.
—Lora Kelley, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2025
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
The Master is the greatest of them all, a movie peopled by characters who are at once intensely human and also the stuff of otherworldly fables.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Modern horror is at the forefront of political movements and are the fables of our time.
—American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Allusions to myths, fables, and riffs on common idioms abound, many of them evocative and quite funny.
—Lora Kelley, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fables
Noun
-
His canvases are populated by allegories.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In these allegories of dehumanization, greed, and hope, Marshall takes an unvarnished view of his subjects, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the past or succumb to nostalgia for a mythical, precolonial Golden Age.—
James Meyer,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the early 2020s, white supremacists turned those myths into internet propaganda.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Numerous legends and myths surround the estate.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sip skyline spirits where fire pits glow and martinis tell tales.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Cobb spins Texan tales that center on women’s complexities.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In his closing argument Tuesday, Cheronis said the lies from Garcia should add up to a not guilty verdict.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Faustian parables unlock more interesting connotations when considered not in terms of politics, but of art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
What kind of message would prime Jeezy have presented without the pyrex parables in tow?—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
McCutchen aired out the Pirates on social media, comparing himself to other legends of teams throughout the league that go to functions set up each year.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
At these community events, monks and others wear intricate costumes and masks to act out the lore of historical legends.—
Amy Nelson,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But these have always been legal fictions.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The vast encyclopedic architecture of Gravity’s Rainbow (1973) or Mason & Dixon (1997) gives way here to a series of detective fictions each set in a distinct historical moment, each featuring a reluctant investigator sifting through the wreckage of cultural paranoia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As for the defense's argument that Debe had a history of making up stories, prosecutors say this is unfortunately consistent with life inside an abusive relationship.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Carol Trzcinski, executive director of McCord Gallery & Cultural Center in Palos Park, wants to help veterans tell their stories by exhibiting their art during a monthlong exhibit in March.—
Melinda Moore,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fables. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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