as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
the parable in which the repentant sinner is compared to the returning prodigal son who is welcomed home
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Recent Examples of parable
The musical features a ragtag group who help Jesus tell various parables.
—
Mo Rocca, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
This more ambitious effort, reflective of his Coptic Christian background, will stand or fall for viewers as a parable of faith versus doubt.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Maybe a bit like the characters in our parable.
—Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025
Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parable
Mo Rocca, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
This more ambitious effort, reflective of his Coptic Christian background, will stand or fall for viewers as a parable of faith versus doubt.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Maybe a bit like the characters in our parable.
—Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025
Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parable
Noun
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Via a sly, clever and potent allegory, the English singer-songwriter, who is trans, depicts the world of a vibrant but vilified cryptid community that finally rises up in the face of prejudice — not to attack, but simply to exist.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
16 Jan. 2026
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Is this the real world or an apocalyptic allegory of some kind?—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The film presents a fable in which a cop and a machine find their way through the maze of this mystery, essentially arguing that law enforcement should have access to this kind of surveillance.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
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Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.—
Maya Silver,
Outside,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The podcast is a fascinating artifact, the tale of a woman still untangling her role as both victim and victimizer.—
Jillian Steinhauer,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
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What unfolds is not just a thriller about biotechnology run amok, but a cautionary tale about a culture where the line between health and the pursuit of a narrow beauty ideal is troublingly blurry.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parable. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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