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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Unlike traditional approaches, HydroSpread lets ultrathin polymer films form directly on water, eliminating the fragile and error-prone step of transferring films from rigid surfaces.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
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In the fourth inning, Los Angeles got a run on Kolek’s throwing error that sailed into center field.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These subsidies were cunning, part of a decades-long effort to keep alive the myths that offshore wind energy is nearly self-sufficient and generates increasingly inexpensive electricity.—
Craig Rucker,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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Consciousness, human life, utterly in the grip of its own dreamlife, all our thinking and voicing caught in a web of surreal distortion, generated by our irrational yearning and apprehensions, our appetite for myth, our solipsism.—
Jane Ciabattari
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As people increasingly turn to AI chatbots for emotional support and life advice, recent incidents have put a spotlight on their potential to feed into delusions and facilitate a false sense of closeness or care.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
17 Sep. 2025
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The music business, theater, Hollywood — these are obvious places to find folks who live in constant delusion, not to mention places Guest was already well familiar with.—
Anne Victoria Clark,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The milky manicure—which gives the illusion of a milky bath—has inspired plenty of spin-offs, usually worn with long almond nails.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
26 Sep. 2025
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As represented by Camus, absurdism emphasizes accepting the absurdity of life and finding joy without illusions, often through gallows humor.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Old wives' tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20wives%27%20tale. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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