myths

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

Relevance
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

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 After decades of perspective-shifting literary retellings like Wide Sargasso Sea and The Mists of Avalon and the current trend of feminist Greek myths, Cathy is an enigma begging for some traumatic backstory to staple her flaws together. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 Some myths about private capital persist for small-business owners, especially around what an investment actually means for a company. — Frank Williamson, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Unlearning myths about suicide One of the most common myths preventing people from starting conversations about suicide is that talking about it will only make the person struggling at greater risk for taking their life, experts said. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 Along with names comes a geography of stories, legends, and myths, sewn into the culture and history of the many people who have lived and live—for now—alongside them. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026 The origin story from Johnny & Kay’s restaurant Like a lot of iconic dishes, steak de Burgo comes with competing creation myths. — Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 22 Sep. 2026 But these myths, particularly in Zallman Proctor’s relaxed, often funny translation, are unpretentiously told. — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 He’s best known as the creator and star of the show Adam Ruins Everything — debunking cultural myths and other prevalent misconceptions — which ran for three seasons on TruTV. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026 The collection The Lucas Museum describes narrative art broadly as visual art that tells stories or communicates the beliefs, values, and myths through which people understand themselves and their societies. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for myths
Noun
  • Early birds were treated to appearances from Broadway legends like Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, as well as musical numbers from the folk standouts Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The drama will blend mystery and suspense to revisit the events and legends surrounding a case that involved three unsolved murders, which still captivates people.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • What impact did her decision to (arguably) curve Drake’s kiss attempt when presenting her the award have on both of their mythologies?
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Both of these tales were derived from the folk legends and mythologies involving witches and ghosts that were still prevalent along the Hudson Valley.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The Hering and Wundt illusions are examples of how straight lines can appear curved if intersecting lines cross them at a certain angle.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In each case, however, modern physics has shown these assumptions to be illusions.
    — Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Few eras of Greek history compare to the ancient times that the country has become so synonymous with—the cinematic fables of Odysseus, comic-book lore of Leonidas, and philosophic creeds of Socrates are ever-present in pop culture.
    — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Abstract Deer Deer are the center of countless fairytales, fables, and general folklore.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 29 Aug. 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.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2022
Noun
  • The Mayo Clinic defines the mental health condition as typically marked by hallucinations, delusions, depression, and mania.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Hill became increasingly paranoid and developed delusions that she was being surveilled.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The rich collections do a great job of honoring visual traditions and explaining their connections to real people and real places.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But the company is trying to balance those new strategies with its existing traditions.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • During the ship’s christening, reservations to the specialty dining restaurants were hard to come by due to technical issues and scheduling errors, which will hopefully be ironed out when the next group sets sail.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers conducted experiments that produced distinct brainwave patterns depending on whether there was a reward prediction error, a state prediction error, or both errors simultaneously.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Myths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/myths. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster