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
Discerning viewers flock to the Greek filmmaker’s parables about family dynamics and power struggles to marinate in his deadpan humor, his aloof and somewhat anthropological look at human behavior, and the sight of Emma Stone inevitably doing something odd.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
These parables sometimes read like gibberish, talking both down and up to the reader.
—Book Marks
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
These parables sometimes read like gibberish, talking both down and up to the reader.
—Book Marks
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 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
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After their collaboration on The Lobster, director Yorgos Lanthimos cast Farrell in yet another of his symbolic, surreal allegories.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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Over the past 20 years of Black List darlings and Edgar Wright rip-offs, the American film industry has established a new archetype of cinema filled with quippy antiheroes, gory allegories for domestic strife, and character actors rattling off reference humor.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to historical fables, yes.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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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 8 Nov. 2025.
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