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 This story is shared in cooperation with Yale School of Medicine. Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026 While retrospective scenes were not new to cinema (having been used in the 1939 adaptation of Wuthering Heights to great effect before), this was one of the first instances in a crime story. Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026 Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026 So to see David's name become part of that story today is incredibly special. Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story
Noun
  • However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale.
    Zana Cimili, Fortune, 12 June 2026
  • One morning earlier this week, Thomas Lupo, the president and CEO of the American Wood Column Corporation, was in his office regaling two young entrepreneurs with tales of his 110-year-old family business.
    Anne Kadet, Curbed, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • Your information could help uncover the next big story.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
  • Ariana revealed this information to the rest of the Islanders during the ceremony at the fire pit.
    Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • The Texas judge said his goal was to prevent outside commentary and public pressure from influencing the proceedings or the jury.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
  • The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
    Tom Reinsfelder, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • Look for alcohol-free, subtle formulas the goal is a whisper of fragrance, not a perfume cloud that announces itself from across the room.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
  • In biergartens, servers carry trays where alcohol‑free helles — a traditional pale lager — sits shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the classic stuff, no longer ordered with a whisper or judgment.
    David Dickstein, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • Prosecutors argued Murdaugh killed his wife and son to distract from his crumbling legal and financial world as years of thefts and lies were closing in on him.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
  • Inside lies a reliable quartz movement (Omega 4061).
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 June 2026
Noun
  • The latter show features bona fide movie stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning, plus a plot — single mom starts an OnlyFans to make ends meet — that fits right in with the 21st-century trend of comedies that play like dramas.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 June 2026
  • Suffice to say there is a pronounced vibe shift toward the mystical as the plot threads converge.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • Qatari negotiators, in coordination with the United States, have flown to Tehran Sunday morning to help facilitate the finalization of the agreement, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
    Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • Namely, while classic tragicomedy places comedic figures in a tragic setting—pitting being against situation—newer navigations turn to intermedia to navigate both/and-ness.
    Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
Noun
  • The Norwegian writer Vigdis Hjorth creates a whole world in very few pages in this novella-length work in which even the pacing of the narrative itself does so much of the storytelling.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • In this inventive, boundary-pushing follow-up to Detransition, Baby, one novella and three stories take on gender, transness and lives on the margins in all of their gorgeously complicated glory.
    Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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