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old wives' tales

noun

plural of old wives' tale
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
  1. errors
  2. myths
  3. delusions
  4. illusions
  5. superstitions
Noun
  • Most residual errors identified in recent evaluations fall into mild-to-moderate severity when the note gets properly reviewed.
    — Pat Williams, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Skilled accounts earned consistent profits by reacting more quickly to publicly available news, arbitraging inconsistent pricing across related contracts and trading against behavioral errors.
    — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of errors
Noun
  • Coleman, who is married to an immigrant, dispelled any myths that his passionate testimony was racist, anti-immigrant or politically motivated.
    — Nicole Russell, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • One of the most persistent myths in modern business is that high-performing talent can routinely overcome a broken environment.
    — Natalie Grabher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of myths
Noun
  • But ChatGPT allegedly did not stop fueling the delusions as Lines’ messages grew darker.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Psychosis is a complete break from reality and involves hallucinations and delusions.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of delusions
Noun
  • In each case, however, modern physics has shown these assumptions to be illusions.
    — Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Designed by Australian magician and magic consultant Adam Mada, the illusions use a fade box where contestants can be seen disappearing and reappearing on the studio monitors in real time.
    — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of illusions
Noun
  • As tourists begin to arrive, the locals' superstitions begin to prove true.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • For some brides, cultural superstitions add yet another complicated layer to the nuptial-planning process.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of superstitions
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

old wives' tale
old wives' tales
old-world
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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 19 Sep. 2026.

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