as in errors
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old wives' tales
Noun
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Fulton County officials have forcefully pushed back, arguing the issues cited reflect routine administrative errors rather than evidence of fraud.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026 -
But his 16 errors last season were tied for seventh most in the major leagues (second among third basemen), and many came on routine plays.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Just like ancient legends and myths, names have power.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
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One of those myths—that lifting heavy weights will make women bulky—has persisted for decades.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Several reports find psychosis among those who are addicted and could result in hallucinations, delusions and confusion.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
26 Mar. 2026
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OpenAI is battling more than a dozen different death and harm suits, including one centered on a tragic murder-suicide allegedly spurred by ChatGPT reinforcing an unstable man’s paranoid delusions.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But then, over the course of several viewings, new recognitions dawned—on the social contract, illusions of class, and the artist’s deft use of color in this gorgeous study of red, white, and blue.—
Laura Brown,
Artforum,
25 Mar. 2026
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Even the most die-hard anti-American cleric in the Iranian political system did not harbor illusions that Iran could defeat the United States in conventional ways.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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What are some Friday the 13th superstitions?—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Mar. 2026
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The zodiac signs and their associated superstitions spread from Mesopotamia to Greece and Rome and eventually became part of European tradition.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
8 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Old wives' tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20wives%27%20tales. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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