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
Pelley is battling with CBS News chief Bari Weiss over control of the narrative.
—
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Scholars began pushing back against that narrative before the United States' bicentennial, with the Prince of Wales writing a spicy rebuttal in 1972.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
The residency match process often rewards candidates whose profiles are cohesive, whose clinical experience is substantive, and whose professional narrative is clear.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 June 2026
While staying faithful to the gothic tone and thrust of the story, the second book in the series once again turned the narrative in on itself by front-loading the perspective of chaos personified, Louis’ tortured and torturous lover, Lestat de Lioncourt.
—Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for narrative
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Scholars began pushing back against that narrative before the United States' bicentennial, with the Prince of Wales writing a spicy rebuttal in 1972.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
The residency match process often rewards candidates whose profiles are cohesive, whose clinical experience is substantive, and whose professional narrative is clear.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 June 2026
While staying faithful to the gothic tone and thrust of the story, the second book in the series once again turned the narrative in on itself by front-loading the perspective of chaos personified, Louis’ tortured and torturous lover, Lestat de Lioncourt.
—Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 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.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
-
This two-story house has three bedrooms and four bathrooms.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Noun
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There is a little more to it, as the tale of the boy from Yonkers has some of the same up-and-down flair of the Knicks and Mets during his Hall of Fame career.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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And hey, if this movie racks up the views, perhaps the next tale will make it to theaters, with bigger co-stars to boot.—
Mark Meszoros,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Much of this era steps into the 42nd millennium, but the chronology isn't entirely clear.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
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So those were pulled out from the central spine that was the chronology.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Building on a concept devised by the director and producer Pierre-Henri Léon, Santiago Otheguy’s script plays fast and loose with Bizet’s opera and the Prosper Mérimée novella that inspired it — to the point of inventing an entirely new protagonist.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
31 May 2026
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But this world premiere from writer Ashley Robinson at Chicago Shakespeare Theater actually is based on the source novella by Annie Proulx.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Throughout the month-long event, every match will be preceded by a 30-minute pregame show led by the main hosts and commentary team.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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The book, by Martyna Majok (of Cost of Living, which was also directed by Bonney), merges past and present through Susanna’s narration, while Bonney has the show’s ensemble onstage around her as their characters interject in Susanna’s story, sometimes to play a scene, sometimes to add commentary.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
Noun
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Whitney Plantation hosts two permanent exhibits, one of which gives an overview about the history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and another that focuses on the history of slavery in Louisiana.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Birds of America is my imperfect attempt to show that history can’t be buried forever, and that what happens to one of us happens, in some way, to all of us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Noun
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If Powell is the savings account for the basin, Balken said, Mead is the checking account — the bank account from which the three downstream states withdraw their water.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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Because these costs vary based on the providers and services used, investors should request a complete fee schedule before opening an account.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Noun
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And the May jobs report will be released today, with economists expecting nonfarm payrolls to show that just 80,000 jobs were added, marking a step down from the average of 150,000 over the prior two months.—
Katie Foley,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
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That year, Georgia was ranked as the worst-performing state in a Postal Service service performance report for the second quarter of 2024 that tracked transit time for mail delivery.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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