as in error
a false idea or belief
the belief that going outside with wet hair will cause you to catch cold is just an old wives' tale
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Recent Examples of old wives' tale
Ольга Симонова/iStock / Getty Images Plus Coffee in the garden isn't just an old wives' tale.
—
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
For the 39 million Americans who suffer from migraines, finding effective relief can be a constant struggle – leading many to test out old wives' tales.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
According to a popular old wives' tale, going to bed with wet hair can lead to catching a nasty cold.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
An old wives' tale says heartburn during pregnancy means your unborn baby has a full head of hair, but many parents with bald babies would strongly disagree.
—Tiffany Eve Lawrence, Parents, 3 May 2024
The idea that breast milk is a cure-all might seem like an old wives' tale, but there's scientific research behind the results Williams is seeing: fresh breast milk has been proven to help with atopic eczema, diaper rash, and a collection of other maladies.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2023
Well, the Germans like a touch of oversteer, and that's no old wives' tale.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 Mar. 2023
An old wives' tale that keeping raw, unpeeled onions out will keep your family safe from illnesses such as the flu is making the rounds on Facebook.
—Katie Landeck, USA TODAY, 16 June 2020
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
For the 39 million Americans who suffer from migraines, finding effective relief can be a constant struggle – leading many to test out old wives' tales.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
According to a popular old wives' tale, going to bed with wet hair can lead to catching a nasty cold.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
An old wives' tale says heartburn during pregnancy means your unborn baby has a full head of hair, but many parents with bald babies would strongly disagree.
—Tiffany Eve Lawrence, Parents, 3 May 2024
The idea that breast milk is a cure-all might seem like an old wives' tale, but there's scientific research behind the results Williams is seeing: fresh breast milk has been proven to help with atopic eczema, diaper rash, and a collection of other maladies.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2023
Well, the Germans like a touch of oversteer, and that's no old wives' tale.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 Mar. 2023
An old wives' tale that keeping raw, unpeeled onions out will keep your family safe from illnesses such as the flu is making the rounds on Facebook.
—Katie Landeck, USA TODAY, 16 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old wives' tale
Noun
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The federal government primarily finances supplemental food benefits, but the state’s share is determined, in part, by its management, as indicated by its rate of error when determining people’s eligibility.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The research depended on computer simulations, which meant that tiny adjustments to the initial state of the digital fluid (or any digital rounding errors) wouldn’t affect the fluid’s fate.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These passages reflect how divided the planet once was, how easily myths about the United States could become rooted in other countries.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
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Some people believe that propane tanks explode from freezing temperatures, but this is a myth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke said paralytic dementia symptoms can include delusions along with memory and language problems.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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But in this version, set in a contemporary world resembling our own, where politics is a spectacle, the main character’s delusions revolve around television.—
Erin Somers,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Suburbia offered the illusion of moral purity, deepening social segregation as highways allowed a quick access to and from the city centre.—
Fahad Zuberi,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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All one had to do would be to rethink what removals are for (or shake off any post-substitutionist illusions about it).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Old wives' tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20wives%27%20tale. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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