as in tale
a traditional description of imaginary events circulated orally among a people
West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling
Related Words
Relevance
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 folktale
Later, the look became incorporated in folktales as the attire of grim reapers.
—
Claire Wang, NBC news, 12 Oct. 2025
There’s Miles, a scholar of Russian folktales who can’t focus on his dissertation; his wife Kate, an English professor grappling with an illness; their two children, Olive and Wesley; and their dog Giuseppe.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
America’s first folktale, in other words, is a folktale about the making of America.
—John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Hovering blue flames that flicker over bogs and marshes have inspired ghostly folktales for centuries.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Claire Wang, NBC news, 12 Oct. 2025
There’s Miles, a scholar of Russian folktales who can’t focus on his dissertation; his wife Kate, an English professor grappling with an illness; their two children, Olive and Wesley; and their dog Giuseppe.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
America’s first folktale, in other words, is a folktale about the making of America.
—John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Hovering blue flames that flicker over bogs and marshes have inspired ghostly folktales for centuries.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folktale
Noun
-
Folklorist Thomas Keightley tells the tale of a kobold named Hödeken who was insulted by a kitchen boy who kept spraying water at him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
And then at some point, the movie turns into a full-on tale of modern-age sorcery, shifting from its historical roots into an arthouse genre flick replete with fire and demons.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Heart of the Ocean may be fictional, but its legend feels real—modeled loosely on the Hope Diamond.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
-
That’s football, even legends come and go.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
On expedition, the hunter who joined me on polar bear watch was relating a story from his grandfather who told him the telling sign of narwhal appearance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Foundation Rock also highlights her relationship with other protective deities, consistently linking her power to myths and the spiritual undertone of water.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Pitting vengeful ghosts against a backdrop of a supernatural love story, the film charmingly plays with genre to question how history and myth can probe collective and socio-political grief.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Haney argued that Rinderknecht has no history of mental health issues or drug use and has no prior criminal record.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
My history and the lessons learned My record of immediately reversing transfers is historically bad, with this season no exception!—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Perry and Trudeau first sparked romance rumors over the summer, when they were spotted on a date in Montreal, Canada.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Perry’s new romance comes a few months after her split from actor Orlando Bloom in early July.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folktale. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share