stories

Definition of storiesnext
plural of story
1
as in tales
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 anecdotes
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
6
as in plots
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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7
as in situations
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 stories The Logistics Managers’ Index for April was at the root of many bearish stories. Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2026 Participants described a strong demand for stories rooted in care, emotional safety, dignity, joy, support, healing, stability, and full humanity. Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026 Stapleton, however, measures the docuseries’ success by how the alleged victims’ stories resonated with the public. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2026 What stories from your own life — or your family history — feel at risk of being forgotten? Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 30 May 2026 There’s no better time to swap scary stories than when the wind is howling and candles are flickering. Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026 The story traces the interconnected lives of three gay men across three eras — 1932, 1937, and 2017 — braiding together stories of desire, loss, and what one generation bequeaths to the next. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 May 2026 The congressman returned home last Fourth of July to startling stories in Southern California as immigration patrols swept through communities and one constituent told him about starting to carry a passport as proof of the right to be in the country. ABC News, 23 May 2026 Much less attention is paid to the It couples whose love stories dominated headlines at the turn of the 20th century, however. Emma Banks, InStyle, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stories
Noun
  • His story mostly exists in the 13th century version of Arthurian tales known as the Vulgate Cycle.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • Ollinger was known to indulge fans with tales of unusual encounters with possible paranormal connection.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Sanneh charts the genesis, rise, and cultural importance of rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance, and pop, while sharing anecdotes from his lifelong engagement with music along the way.
    Juliet Izon, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
  • His former security guard shares emotional anecdotes.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Plaintiff attorneys have built similar tools capable of producing polished demand letters, medical chronologies, and settlement ranges using massive legal datasets.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The Southern Sinagua people, hardy folk who lived in the area from about 1150 to around 1400, drew them to mark major happenings in their world, keep chronologies of celestial events or map out favorite Verde River hotspots.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • There had been political whispers in South Windsor since the November election about whether the decision disqualifying Amadasun was part of a Republican ploy to keep Democrats from achieving a council supermajority.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026
  • This might be as simple as a public argument – hissing whispers in an elevator.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • The 37-year-old former Republican congressman from New York ran for office telling a series of lies and fabrications about his personal life.
    Bobby Allyn, NPR, 2 June 2026
  • Untangling the optimism from the lies of that period is a difficult task.
    Ola Morris Innset, The Dial, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Inside, the museum boasts a planetarium, giant-screen theater, exhibition zones, and landscaped outdoor teaching plots organized around regional species and observable plant phenomena.
    Bridget Borgobello May 30, New Atlas, 30 May 2026
  • The main dining rooms look onto greenery and kitchen plots, and menus weave herbs, flowers and produce from the grounds together with ingredients from regional farms.
    Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • Marvina Haynes is pushing for support for families in situations like hers after tirelessly fighting for her brother's release.
    Beret Leone, CBS News, 1 June 2026
  • The simplified connectors are intended to speed deployment and reduce connection errors during nighttime operations or stressful combat situations.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • This pair of novellas is about a middle-aged woman, the heroine’s sister, who comes to Tokyo intent on obtaining breast implants and a protagonist contemplating artificial insemination in a culture that doubts the procedure’s morality.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • House of the Dragon premieres its third season this summer ahead of a fourth and likely final season in 2028, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas, is in production on season 2 for release in 2027.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stories. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

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