as in allegories
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of parables
Faustian parables unlock more interesting connotations when considered not in terms of politics, but of art.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
What kind of message would prime Jeezy have presented without the pyrex parables in tow?
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2025
The wordplay is as colorful as the sonics are sedate, tag-team player parables sailing over production seeking a slippery middle ground between East and West Coast throwback jams.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The musical features a ragtag group who help Jesus tell various parables.
—Mo Rocca, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
Then there’s this weird other, like Mae got really into parables.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The production is filled with humor, heartstring-tugging moments and real-life experiences that double as powerful parables.
—Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
What kind of message would prime Jeezy have presented without the pyrex parables in tow?
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2025
The wordplay is as colorful as the sonics are sedate, tag-team player parables sailing over production seeking a slippery middle ground between East and West Coast throwback jams.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The musical features a ragtag group who help Jesus tell various parables.
—Mo Rocca, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
Then there’s this weird other, like Mae got really into parables.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
The production is filled with humor, heartstring-tugging moments and real-life experiences that double as powerful parables.
—Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parables
Noun
-
His canvases are populated by allegories.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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In these allegories of dehumanization, greed, and hope, Marshall takes an unvarnished view of his subjects, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the past or succumb to nostalgia for a mythical, precolonial Golden Age.—
James Meyer,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Geminis have a tendency to speak of fables to protect themselves or to make their lives seem more fulfilling.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
15 Dec. 2025
-
His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parables. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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