narrative

Definition of narrativenext
1
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 That’s thanks in one part to a gripping flash-forward narrative structure now so common it could be considered a cliché, and in another to Glenn Close’s indelible performance as ruthless litigator Patty Hewes. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026 Holding more than one metal spreads out the risk that comes from betting too heavily on a single narrative. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026 The titles were chosen for their narratives around self-expression, Coach said. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026 What changed was not the design but the narrative. Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for narrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrative
Noun
  • Elsewhere, stories of economic gloom – from galloping inflation to restaurant closures and the knock-on impact of severe tax increases – describe the many ways in which the prolonged war in Ukraine is now hitting Russians hard in the pocket at home.
    Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
    Jared Perlo, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Mikaela Shiffrin’s story of redemption is one of the greatest tales of Olympic glory at this year’s Winter Games in Italy.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Rarely do these pieces directly echo the two men’s interpersonal drama, but the information adds context to the actors’ enchanting movements, which are backed by gorgeous outfits and striking set design that accentuate the mythical tales being played out.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • That family has expanded and relocated, as Emily herself noted in a quick chronology of the home team’s progression from Chinatown to Greenwich Village, then to a second place in Greenwich Village in just a few years.
    Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2026
  • The $720-million structure will serve as the new home for LACMA’s permanent collection with 90 exhibition galleries organized thematically rather than by medium or chronology.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Whether Egg had Maekar’s permission to join Dunk’s travels as his squire is left more open ended in the novella itself.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Bentley, who is based in Dallas, directed and co-wrote the film based on Denis Johnson’s novella of the same name.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Dig deep and sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free Survivor Weekly newsletter to have all the latest news, interviews, and commentary sent right to your inbox.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
  • In the time since, his take on the character has become a fixture of fascination in pop culture, spawning a countless number of halloween costumes, memes and commentary.
    Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • But there are two categories of nonprofessionals whose place in the history of the art strikes me as particularly exalted.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
  • One team was coming off its highest high, the other off its lowest low, but recent history matters little whenever UCLA and USC meet.
    Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • But questions remain over which firms will stand up the accounts and how others will be able to roll them over to their own platforms.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
  • As recorded in all four Gospel accounts, when some of the women who’d followed Jesus to Calvary arrived at the tomb on Sunday morning, now recognized as Easter Sunday, to prepare the body for proper burial, the rock had been rolled away and the tomb was empty, according to Harvard University.
    Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Powell was added to the Heat’s injury report on Thursday morning, with the team listing him as questionable for the contest because of right groin soreness.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
  • An interview with an 8-year-old In 1995, when my daughter Sarah was about 8 years old, her school assigned the students a report on a civil rights leader for Black History Month.
    Rick Davis, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.

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