legends

Definition of legendsnext
plural of legend
1
as in tables
an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart the legend indicated that a large circle represented a major city, while a small circle stood for a small town

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2
as in captions
an explanation or description accompanying a pictorial illustration the legend in the science textbook indicated that the accompanying picture had been enlarged by 1000%

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3
as in myths
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature some ancient civilizations had legends about spirits that inhabited trees and rocks

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4
as in mythologies
the body of customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings associated with a people, thing, or place that story of how the world came to be has long been part of Native American legend

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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 legends More than a decade later, the two legends are hoping to do it again. Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026 The returning legends spanned generations. Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026 Netflix is also beginning to move into MMA, with Ronda Rousey set to fight Gina Carano on May 16, with both women’s MMA legends coming out of retirement. Joe Otterson, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026 Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026 That character is Branford ‘Breeze’ Frady Breeze (Shameik Moore), the nephew of street legends Snaps (Wendell Pierce) and Pop (Erika Woods). Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026 The figure skating legends are on the NBC broadcast throughout the 2026 Winter Olympics. Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026 Although lore and legends abound throughout the Highlands, on the Isle of Skye, they are taken to a new level. Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026 Franchise legends, both past and present, are ready to welcome him to the inner circle already. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legends
Noun
  • At the entrance, busy setting up tables and pasting ISIS flags onto the wall, was Abdul Hadi.
    Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
  • The study, maybe the city’s most high-taste study imaginable, has Prouvé tables and a Steven Parrino behind the reading nook.
    Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • This is a good time to mention iOS and Android both have a plethora of accessibility settings for people who need assistance with vision (text magnification or better contrast) or hearing issues (live captions) or who need assistance using the touch screen accurately or some other issues.
    Jim Rossman, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The captions offer a deluge of affiliate links for supplements and nontoxic cleaning products.
    Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Those myths were conveyed through performance, sung in the great halls of the elite, recited at festivals all across the ancient world, staged at the theatre to large audiences, and displayed on wall paintings, mosaics, vases, and sculptures that adorned both sacred sanctuaries and city-states.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The Mirror doesn’t always trade in great American myths.
    Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Among the many ideas the film explores, front and center is the notion that communities like Ant’s create their own mythologies.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Plus, the two cultures have overlapping ancient mythologies that could be incorporated into the story’s fantasy elements.
    Liz Ohanesian, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Marlana McElvaine’s car was found abandoned, with her keys and work badge still inside, the station reported.
    Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
  • There are no room keys either, because there's no one to lock out.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Nina Murray’s translations, shaped by her own work as a poet and her long engagement with Ukrainian literature, bring this layered temporality into English with clarity and ethical tact.
    Alex Averbuch, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The hashtag がんばれパンチ remains active and is the easiest way to find fan content, translations and new clips.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • 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
Noun
  • The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.
    Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Legends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legends. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

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