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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of narrative
In the retelling, personal narrative becomes public history, communal memory, and even cultural myth.
—
Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
But its more insightful narrative was the background setting.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 22 Apr. 2026
The idea of selling a narrative is all over this episode.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
Musk has been trying to change the narrative by focusing on the company’s efforts in self-driving technology and humanoid robots.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for narrative
Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
But its more insightful narrative was the background setting.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 22 Apr. 2026
The idea of selling a narrative is all over this episode.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
Musk has been trying to change the narrative by focusing on the company’s efforts in self-driving technology and humanoid robots.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for narrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrative
Noun
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
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Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 2-panel chart below tells the tale.—
Carter Braxton Worth,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
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Whitman’s poetry and prose; Melville’s early romances of the sea, Typee, Omoo, and Mardi; three novels by Harriet Beecher Stowe, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and the complete tales and sketches of Nathaniel Hawthorne.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In 2015, Colin Fries of the NASA History Division compiled a chronology of wake-up calls.—
Melissa Gaffney,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The opera, and the novella it is based on, were written in French.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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The chiller is adapted from Elizabeth Engstrom’s cult 1980s novella of the same name.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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April 19 guest commentary The recent commentary on the Colorado Connector rail service was supportive of moving ahead.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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This commentary was published in the Chicago Tribune.—
Jon Duffy,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Nowhere has the flipping of the form books been more striking than in La Liga, where two weekends ago — for only the third time in history — each of the bottom five teams picked up maximum points.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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Sixteen original structures are on the property, along with two permanent exhibitions about the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in Louisiana.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Struijk’s error was punished, but nobody in white gave a good account of themselves during an opening period in which Daniel Farke admitted there was nervousness in his line-up.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Chess can seem abstruse and forbidding to the uninitiated, but Himelfarb’s account of it is as readable and comprehensible as any more familiar sports story—or, for that matter, any narrative in which a bunch of ambitious people pursue a single goal.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mealey and the Defenders, who have filed a lawsuit against the city that seeks to block the public-private stadium plan and is being weighed by the Supreme Judicial Court, are reacting to an ESPN report that states the NWSL board is set to vote next week on the potential schedule change.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Experts said its demise was not about competition but more about the company’s poor financial decisions, according to a Bloomberg report.—
Samantha Gowen,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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