myths

noun

plural of myth
1
as in legends
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature according to an ancient Greek myth, humans acquired fire from Prometheus, a Titan who had stolen it from heaven

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in mythologies
the body of customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings associated with a people, thing, or place over the years Davy Crockett evolved from an actual person to one of the great figures of American myth

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in illusions
a false idea or belief the idea that alligators can live in the sewers of New York is just a myth

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 myths Three Myths About The Streamlined Program Even expats who learn the program exists often hesitate, usually because of three myths. — Nathalie Goldstein, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Like all myths, that of Medusa plays upon the riddle of origins. — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026 The statues of Polyphemus, Scylla and Charybdis, and other figures from The Odyssey discovered in Tiberius’s villa attest to the area’s millennia-long ties to myths and legends. — Laura Itzkowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026 During their 40-minute conversation, McConaughey and Fauci discussed COVID-19 myths and vaccines. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 What happens to a country when the environment upon which its myths are based begins to alter dramatically? — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 July 2026 In a country stubbornly attached to myths about the military’s positive transformative power, Platner presented a stark counterfactual. — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 There is a timelessness to Mitchell’s work, thanks in large part to the ancient source material, the myths of Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades and Persephone. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 Contrary to popular myths about earwigs climbing into people’s ears to eat their brains or lay eggs, these little creatures pose no threat to humans. — Hannah Smith july 22, Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for myths
  1. legends
  2. mythologies
  3. illusions
  4. fables
  5. folklores
  6. delusions
  7. traditions
  8. errors
Noun
  • The plan drew overwhelming backlash, with soccer legends and governing bodies blasting it for allegedly prioritizing shareholders over the game of soccer.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • But in a world where a few basis points separates legends from washouts, a 10-point edge is an enormous windfall for anyone who trusted Kalshi’s numbers over those crunched by CME, the giant futures-exchange operator.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of legends
Noun
  • But the filmmaker proves more interested in interrogating that ethos than recreating it, and few horror mythologies are better suited to exploring betrayal and regret than one built around the refusal to let the dead remain dead.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
  • The threads that formed country music The American West generated its own mythologies.
    — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of mythologies
Noun
  • The rise of Black power influenced Chicano activism, and many Mexican Americans increasingly shed illusions that they could be seen as white, at least legally so, and rejected assimilationist impulses.
    — Eladio Bobadilla, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Neither of them, however, had any illusions about his prospects.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Definition of illusions
Noun
  • What turns him on is cryptic babes, brawling men and stagy fables of lust, rivalry and possession.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • Explore the Wild West from the back of a rickety wagon as characters share famed fables about Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, Pecos Bill, John Henry and Hekeke.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of fables
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.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2022
Definition of folklores
Noun
  • But what happens when a king’s delusions have real consequences?
    — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Partway through the season, Straczynski noticed O’Hare developing symptoms of psychosis, including paranoid delusions.
    — JP Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of delusions
Noun
  • The backstory L’Auberge Carmel, a Relais & Châteaux property, was built in 1929 as a commission for Allen Knight, an adventurer and author, as a way to bring together the artistic spirit of Carmel-by-the-Sea and European traditions.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • For some Muslim intellectuals and travelers, Japan’s modernization and its victory over Russia was proof that Asian nations need not be subservient to Europe or abandon their own cultural traditions.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of traditions
Noun
  • These errors of commission are compounded by errors of omission.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Mecklenburg County, which administers the SNAP program locally, is working to reduce its number of payment errors Cox said, including increasing staff training and case reviews.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of errors

Browse Nearby Words

mythos
myths
my word
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Cite this Entry

“Myths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/myths. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of myths for Spanish Speakers

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