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 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 Host Karina Longworth strips away the sanitized studio myths of Old Hollywood, offering meticulously researched, creative nonfiction that portrays famous icons as relatable, flawed human beings rather than untouchable legends. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 27 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 There are fewer outlets to perform masculinity in ways that echo myths of glory. — Elizabeth Dray, STAT, 21 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
  • Howe and his players were automatically enshrined as club legends.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • Ironically, in what several key movie-making legends have decried and lamented as a self-destructive move, Hollywood has been training the audience not to head out to theaters, but instead to wait patiently at home.
    — Adam Aron, Variety, 29 July 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
  • Neither of them, however, had any illusions about his prospects.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • Because only in intense, rarefied states will our illusions finally drop away, like redundant scaffolding, freeing us to perceive life on a more visceral level.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 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
  • The 29-year-old Christian Faith Madison died after walking into traffic, with her family arguing that the OpenAI chatbot had fueled her religious delusions during their extensive interactions, pushing her over the edge by romanticizing death.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 23 July 2026
  • Symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, extreme depression, insomnia, paranoia and rapid mood swings.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 20 July 2026
Definition of delusions
Noun
  • And for Southerners, in particular, these types of trips provide chances to pass down beloved traditions and introduce the next generation to the places and pastimes that have long been part of your family’s story.
    — Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There is no intent other than honoring the traditions of the Native American history.
    — Scott Powers, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of traditions
Noun
  • By using a mathematical technique to reduce the precision of some data, the researchers brought that figure down to 51 watts without compromising the system’s ability to detect dangerous computational errors.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
  • According to Bergh, part of the issue is that many state agencies are struggling with staffing pressures and paperwork backlogs, especially amid efforts to prevent errors on food aid applications and avoid new federal penalties.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 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 6 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of myths for Spanish Speakers

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