Definition of storynext
1
as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel he's a talented writer, but his quirky stories will never find a wide readership

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2
as in anecdote
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally Grandpa is always telling stories about what it was like growing up on a farm

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3
4
5
as in whisper
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature stories going around that the old man had died with thousands of dollars hidden under his mattress

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6
7
as in plot
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work the story proceeds at a pace that many readers will find a bit too leisurely

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8
as in situation
position with regard to conditions and circumstances management is trying to figure out what the story is with the accident down in the warehouse

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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 story Over seven nights, explore five centuries of story Two seven-night itineraries, Wonders of Colombia and Magic of Colombia, work the river between Cartagena and Barranquilla in opposite directions. Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026 At the time of this story’s publication, subject matter experts have only partially checked the Lean files. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026 Zoë Bell has spent the better part of 25 years being other people — at speed, on fire and 20-odd stories above the ground. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026 The collection also comes with an intriguing provenance story of its own. Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story
Noun
  • But as with many such tales of extraordinary success, the origin story is much darker.
    Tracy Weber, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Still, this increasingly eerie repertory pick is phenomenally made science fiction and not to be missed by anyone who thinks the tale of a Cold War-era supercomputer demonstrating a shockingly plausible doomsday might be for them.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The top Democrats on the House Oversight and Natural Resources Committees plus the Senate Armed Services Committee have already requested more information about Vulcan and Reelement as well as NABEP, respectively.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The man's family has struggled to get any information from the hospital about his status or location, Lincoln-Goldfinch said.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Postmortem commentaries on the campaign agreed that many factors were at play in Sinclair’s loss — FDR had kept his distance and progressive candidate Raymond Haight siphoned off votes from Sinclair — but Hollywood proudly took credit.
    Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Two years ago, Shen Anyu, a voice actor who earns a living from narrating news commentaries and other short programs, began noticing an alarming number of videos on social-media platforms that seemed to feature his voice without his permission.
    Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • At a time when so much contemporary art jockeys to be spectacular, Op de Beeck’s whispers, both commanding and requiring your attention.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In a fitting homage, the whiskey's whisper of a smoky, campfire-like finish sets it apart among Kentucky's expansive bourbon scene.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This is a melodrama of malicious secrets and manipulative lies that may lead to divorce, desertion and even death.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The film follows an insecure MBA student who fakes a broken ankle and poses as a medical student to win over a free-spirited woman who lives for music and dancing, only to see his lies unravel as real feelings take hold.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • What makes the revenge plot so seductive is the buildup more than the act itself.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • On paper, the script didn’t seem that funny, and the looseness of it all — the clowning, the lack of a traditional plot structure — seemed kind of slapdash.
    Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Historically, that’s something that Salt Lake in particular has been good at showcasing given the intense situations that have bonded a group that, save for the felon, have almost all been on this ride since the beginning.
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • After monitoring the situation, park managers found the bear unusually difficult to scare away and said its escalating proximity to humans posed a safety risk that was deemed unacceptable, according to the national park.
    Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The company is working on a feature adaptation of Pulitzer Prize finalist Torrey Peters’ novella Stag Dance and a feature romantic comedy from Carly Usdin and Brittani Nichols featuring WNBA players Gabby Williams, Theresa Plaisance, and Syd Colson.
    Peter White, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Deep in the Pyrenees mountains, a young man, Miquel, struggles in the wake of his mother’s death in a snowstorm — a tragic event that was at the center of Tóibín’s 2006 novella, A Long Winter.
    Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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