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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fables
The Syfy-channel TV show Channel Zero uses some of the best known of these fables as fodder for serialized storytelling.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
That Niall finds Ruben so alluring is natural to Gadd, who believes the notion of a valiant male figure has been bred into everyone via fables and fairy tales.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
Both fables and translations are forms of constrained writing.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
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
David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
That Niall finds Ruben so alluring is natural to Gadd, who believes the notion of a valiant male figure has been bred into everyone via fables and fairy tales.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
Both fables and translations are forms of constrained writing.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fables
Noun
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But if these movies are progressive allegories of beings transcending their differences, then Hoppers is a surprisingly blunt pushback to that notion.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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Chandran’s reference to allegories suggests the adaptation is leaning into the arc’s political dimensions — the civil war, the manipulation of a nation by a Warlord of the Sea, and the cost of leadership.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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During an interview with Drew Steele on the digital news outlet Florida’s Voice, Renner trotted out tired old myths about the reliability of solar energy that haven’t been true in more than a decade.—
David Jenkins,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2026
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The Kardashians, captains of industry in a post-industrial age, defy the old myths.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2026
Noun
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Among the images are some depicting Merlin the magician shape-shifting into different forms and some of the tales of King Arthur and his knights.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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The Simpsons struggle to find the light through two dark tales of the curious and bizarre in this Disney+ exclusive.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The 37-year-old former Republican congressman from New York ran for office telling a series of lies and fabrications about his personal life.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
2 June 2026
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Untangling the optimism from the lies of that period is a difficult task.—
Ola Morris Innset,
The Dial,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Jesus, who speaks in parables, not in dicta or dogmas, provides us with a primary instance of the power of the nonliteral tale.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 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 emergence of a global content marketplace has greatly expanded opportunity to create TV shows, movies, documentaries, games and more for those who control the life rights of legends such as Monroe, Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali, estates that are also in the Authentic portfolio.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
1 June 2026
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There are a number of myths and legends surrounding Wilimowski, both good and bad, that are hard to verify or disprove.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The program also happens to be in line with one of the president’s convenient rhetorical fictions.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
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The curiosity, sensitivity, and imagination of children will always demand new and ambitious fictions.—
Mac Barnett,
Longreads,
5 May 2026
Noun
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The Logistics Managers’ Index for April was at the root of many bearish stories.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2026
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Participants described a strong demand for stories rooted in care, emotional safety, dignity, joy, support, healing, stability, and full humanity.—
Dominique Fluker,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fables. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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