1
as in story
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature
don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in anecdote
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally
asked Dad to tell once again the tale of how, as a kid, he broke his arm jumping out of a tree
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
told tall tales in an attempt to impress me with her supposedly upper-crust background
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in novella
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 tale
Lushly photographed and boosted by a few killer tracks, Daisy Jones & the Six delivers the lurid delights and downfalls of a satisfying behind-the-music tale.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
In this oral history, the people directly involved in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history tell the tale of Doncic’s departure from Dallas.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
Turkey's central bank offers the starkest cautionary tale.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Over a thousand people responded with tales of that one auntie who had time, disposable income, and dropped game on everything from business to love.
—Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
In this oral history, the people directly involved in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history tell the tale of Doncic’s departure from Dallas.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 30 Jan. 2026
Turkey's central bank offers the starkest cautionary tale.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Over a thousand people responded with tales of that one auntie who had time, disposable income, and dropped game on everything from business to love.
—Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
-
Beyond the famous spaceships, X-Wing and TIE Fighter also brought compelling stories set in the Star Wars universe, alongside technical advancements like fully 3D graphics in place of the bitmap sprites of previous titles.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Ludwig wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news on Thursday.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The content of the speech was a litany of lies, fantasy and exaggerated claims.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
But that confidence in ourselves and our capacity was always a lie.—
Adam Frank,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Clive Barker's adaptation of his own novella, The Hellbound Heart, introduced us to one of the scariest cinematic baddies, Pinhead, leader of a group of sadomasochistic demonic beings who are summoned by humans either accidentally or in pursuit of pleasures of their own.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
There’s a novella of a wine list, with by-the-glass options obscurely scrawled on a mirror above the bar.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If convicted, Taras faces up to 15 years in federal prison for each count of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and up to five years for possessing a gun within 1,000 feet of a school.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Traffic counts were taken during off-peak periods that do not reflect summer park use or event conditions, and core operational assumptions — shuttle volumes, curb capacity, pedestrian crossings, and rideshare demand — remain unvalidated by independent analysis.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As whisper listings become more common, discretion has turned into a form of value.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The role Landfair’s family members, including Sparkle, played in fostering her relationship with Kelly, even as whispers of their relationship became screams, is difficult to reckon with.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The recently released fourth outing of Netflix’s massively popular Regency romance — adapted from Julia Quinn’s best-selling book series — is a twist on the Grimm brothers’ fable.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Later novels routinely took inspiration from family members or former or current lovers; the 1980 novel that baffled Frank Kermode is a dreamlike fable about a man guiltily trying to have an extramarital affair.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The high-stakes election drew 43,970 voters to the polls during the in-person early voting period for Senate District 9, according to an unofficial tally from Tarrant County Election Administration.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The final tally was a 17-5 advantage in shot attempts for Ottawa, and 9-4 in shots on goal.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In addition, scores of videos and news accounts have been circulating this month showing ICE agents pepper-spraying residents or throwing them to the ground in California, Arizona, Minnesota and elsewhere.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Eighth-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores in Florida have not significantly improved since 1998 and have once again fallen below the national average, placing the state 44th nationally.—
Andrew Spar,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
