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 What drew me in deeply was the science, the geology, the chemistry, and the incredible story of how these materials form. Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Have a suggestion for a future story? Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025 Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images This is a developing story. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 This is a developing story and will be updated. Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story
Noun
  • The tale is pilfered from the Aeneid, but Virgil would blench to see the curtain rise on Jupiter, dandling Ganymede, a beautiful boy, upon his knee.
    Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel Hamnet imagined the relationship between the Bard and his spouse as an intimate tale of lust, compromise, joy, resentment, support, and sorrow.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Charlie Harper takes that straightforward arc and scrambles the timeline, so that the beats are organized not by chronology but by something like free association.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Davidtz hints at a family tragedy, but saves the reveal until late in a film that can sometimes be unclear, emphasizing sense memories over strict chronology (shooting from the back seat and under tables, to reinforce Bobo’s perspective).
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Davis remembers hearing the whispers of concern.
    Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Well, the test screening whisper network has said glowing things about it so far.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Our family has been ruined by Denise's lies of promising to end a year-long affair.
    Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Harrison called that a lie, saying Welsh knew of university professors teaching LGBTQ+ content long before Monday.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • One of the pleasures of Ruíz de Azua’s work, in film and TV, is its capacity to generate questions, as the plot builds and on a psychological and social level.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The plot sees the climbing group left reeling after a tragic accident on a mountaineering expedition.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • That’s the situation more pet owners are facing these days.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Getty Images The San Francisco 49ers quarterback situation for their upcoming Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints may not be Purdy.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • None of this instability emerges until late in the interrogation, which is also late in the novella.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Benjamin Voisin, who previously worked with Ozon on Summer of 85, stars as protagonist Meursault, the novella’s French expat protagonist who senselessly kills a local man on a beach.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.
    William Jones, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The other five were charged with felony resisting arrest, and four are facing an additional charge of giving false information to law enforcement, officials said.
    Mark Price, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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