as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
pressed for time, many English teachers have their students read the one novella among the novelist's works
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Recent Examples of novella
Stern has also published four collections of stories, four novellas, and two children’s books, all of them steeped in Jewish folklore.
—
Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Moriarty wrote an unpublished novella to serve as the basis of 2019's Season 2, the aftermath of the murder.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Eric Magnuson’s fair gripe in The Atlantic last week pointed me to this hypnotic novella from one of our best fever dreamers.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
This means that one book can be a rom-com, the next a mystery novella, the next a steamy thriller.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for novella
Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Moriarty wrote an unpublished novella to serve as the basis of 2019's Season 2, the aftermath of the murder.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Eric Magnuson’s fair gripe in The Atlantic last week pointed me to this hypnotic novella from one of our best fever dreamers.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
This means that one book can be a rom-com, the next a mystery novella, the next a steamy thriller.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for novella
Recent Examples of Synonyms for novella
Noun
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So does the tale of the tape, which clearly favors New York in its first-round matchup against a pesky Hawks team hoping to pull off an upset.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Dimon delivered a familiar tale that somehow manages to instill calm and panic at the same time.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That means the street-facing facades cannot be changed although some features, like the second- and third-story windows bricked over by Owen Beidelman, could be restored.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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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.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Novella.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/novella. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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