stories

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 Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. Data Skrive, New York Times, 5 July 2026 The history of Kaskaskia is full of stories of resilience and stubborn pride, but also of the inevitability of nature. Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 Nearly every American, regardless of race, wealth, geography, or politics, has likely held the names of at least one of these four women without knowing their stories. Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 Hinduism is a narrative religion; its mercurial wisdom is lightened and sweetened by stories, softened by ambiguities, sharpened by paradoxes. Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026 TopicsFrom the Archives Get the latest fashion stories, style, and tips, handpicked for you, everyday. Kurt Vonnegut, Vogue, 5 July 2026 People realized that this was the moment for these stories to be told. NBC news, 5 July 2026 As a coastal town shaped by generations of immigrants, Half Moon Bay now has a new art display that serves as a reminder of the people and stories that continue to define the community. Loureen Ayyoub, CBS News, 27 June 2026 Núñez was coauthor of a study published in 2023 in the journal Buildings that examined a type of concrete building higher than 20 stories and built to minimum Venezuelan code requirements. Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stories
Noun
  • By Christopher Arnott Even tales as old as time need to get told a different way every once in a while.
    Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • Everything else in these tales of Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister can be a bit over-amped and over-stylized.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • The chapters follow the restaurant’s improbable success, offering extraordinary anecdotes, such as how a Yugoslavian immigrant happened to open a red-booth, comfort-food Italian restaurant.
    Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • Mulaney’s headlining set centered on stories about life with wife Olivia Munn and their two children, Malcolm and Mei, mixing family anecdotes with reflections on his hometown.
    SPIN Staff, SPIN, 13 July 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
  • The whispers had grown too loud to ignore, and a grand jury was convened.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
  • But eccentricity is only the visible tip of the vast iceberg of Vibeke’s mental health issues, and soon Karl and Rikke are conferring in low whispers about whether, and when, to slip some ground-up sleeping pills into her drink.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • When two young lovers find themselves up against stubborn, money-minded fathers, Scapin jumps into action with outrageous tricks, bold lies, and comic chaos at every turn.
    Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
  • Finally, reality itself has a way of fighting back against lies and propaganda.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • Angelus’s soils are principally clay-limestone, while Carillon’s plots vary between clay, sand and limestone.
    Lewis Chester, Robb Report, 11 July 2026
  • Each of the films in the franchise features Leatherface, although their plots vary.
    Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • Instead, language barriers and limited information can hinder their ability to navigate legal situations effectively, Kittaka said.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 12 July 2026
  • That probably has something to do with Peter waking up in weird situations with his organic spider-mutations happening.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Noun
  • Crime fiction aficionados are sure to devour this collection of six novellas from the bestselling author.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026
  • These invasion fictions took a range of forms, from short stories and pamphlets to novellas and full-length novels, and proliferated especially in the late-Victorian and Edwardian period leading up to World War I, which brought the subgenre’s brief flourishing to an end.
    Ivan Kreilkamp, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stories. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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