saga

noun

Definition of saganext
as in tale
a detailed description of a series of real or fictional events taking place over a long period of time The saga of Beowulf recounts the hero's travels as he hunts the monster Grendel.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of saga The will-they-or-won’t-they saga has been more intense than pretty much anything else onscreen this season (well except for You Can See Everything, of course). — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2026 That’s just the jumping-off point for a sprawling family saga that took countless comic detours — and flashbacks — over its five seasons. — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Nov. 2026 The Chicago Bears stadium saga has more drama than a playoff game. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026 Variety spoke with director Naoya Andô and producer Ryo Nakamuray about their continuation of the saga. — John Bleasdale, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for saga
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saga
  1. tale
  2. story
  3. novella
Noun
  • Wildwood is a dark tale, with whispers of a witch, set against the beautiful yet formidable backdrop of rural New England.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The tale is energized by the thoughtful performances of Hanns Zischler, as Mann, and Sandra Hüller, as the author’s daughter Erika, who accompanies him while reviving conflicts from her own past.
    — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of tale
Noun
  • Long story short, campers stay warmer on cold nights and cooler on hot nights without a loud, emissions-spewing engine or generator running in the background.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • While two of the three semifinalists had a base camp here, and international stars like Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham lived in Kansas City, the biggest story arguably was what happened west of town.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of story
Noun
  • Gould chalked this not-so-novel novella’s timing up to nostalgia.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The show is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film and Daphne du Maurier’s novella of the same name.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of novella

Browse Nearby Words

sag
saga
sagacious
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Saga.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saga. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on saga

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about saga

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abandon

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All