1
as in story
a relating of events usually in the order in which they happened
wrote a witty, chatty narrative of all the happenings at the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
in such narratives as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter," Edgar Allan Poe essentially created the modern detective story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of narrative
These reports have been part of the narrative from the beginning, as has been another idea Morgan brought up, surrounding the fact that there was no real primary involving Harris since Biden retired so late into the campaign.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 2025
Even with leaks, moles, and a few red herrings thrown in the mix, the series’ characters are so trope laden and its visuals so loaded with symbolism that most of the narrative feels inevitable.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Paul Simon, another New York songwriter, was also expert at making his home part of the narrative without spelling it out.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
As fears swirl that American manufacturing workers and skilled laborers may soon be replaced by artificial intelligence and robots, Alex Karp, CEO of the AI and data analytics software company Palantir Technologies, hopes to change the narrative.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for narrative
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 2025
Even with leaks, moles, and a few red herrings thrown in the mix, the series’ characters are so trope laden and its visuals so loaded with symbolism that most of the narrative feels inevitable.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Paul Simon, another New York songwriter, was also expert at making his home part of the narrative without spelling it out.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
As fears swirl that American manufacturing workers and skilled laborers may soon be replaced by artificial intelligence and robots, Alex Karp, CEO of the AI and data analytics software company Palantir Technologies, hopes to change the narrative.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for narrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrative
Noun
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Advertisement Then, in February, after an early version of the site was ready, a story about Shield Seniors and Tejasvi appeared in the Dallas Observer, bringing her to the attention of the people at AARP.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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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.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The tale is pilfered from the Aeneid, but Virgil would blench to see the curtain rise on Jupiter, dandling Ganymede, a beautiful boy, upon his knee.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel Hamnet imagined the relationship between the Bard and his spouse as an intimate tale of lust, compromise, joy, resentment, support, and sorrow.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Charlie Harper takes that straightforward arc and scrambles the timeline, so that the beats are organized not by chronology but by something like free association.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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Davidtz hints at a family tragedy, but saves the reveal until late in a film that can sometimes be unclear, emphasizing sense memories over strict chronology (shooting from the back seat and under tables, to reinforce Bobo’s perspective).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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None of this instability emerges until late in the interrogation, which is also late in the novella.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
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Benjamin Voisin, who previously worked with Ozon on Summer of 85, stars as protagonist Meursault, the novella’s French expat protagonist who senselessly kills a local man on a beach.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This history lesson was not, however, the focus of the year two students, who clamored towards the phone box with Camilla in tow to try out a British tradition.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Only seven primary catchers have eclipsed 300 or more homers in MLB history.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After winning series 13 in 2022, Syabira Yusoff has continued to share her passion for baking with her growing audience on her social media account.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Bundys’ account of Finicum shooting aligns with reports The Bundy family’s statement included a photo of FBI Director Kash Patel standing with four men with an FBI Shield of Bravery award displayed in front of them.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Long days of narration pummel my throat, a throb that never really goes away.—
Adam Verner
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Through awe-inspiring visuals and a narration from the filmmaker combining poetry, science and emotions, the film explores the paradoxes of our time.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Even so, the £125m British-record fee received for Isak (which the club insist is actually worth £130m to them due to solidarity payments being waived) is an astronomical fee and should alleviate any concerns about the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules for several windows to come.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Former Kansas basketball forward Mitch Lightfoot, who participated in a record-setting six of coach Bill Self’s preseason boot camp conditioning programs, has offered a bit of advice to the many newcomers on the 2025-26 team.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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