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
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tale
Kwong was cast as Rain, one of the Three Storms, in John Carpenter’s 1986 action-adventure tale Big Trouble in Little China, starring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall.
—
Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 28 May 2025
Set in America in 1856, this tale shows what life was like on an orphan train and gives a unique glimpse into American history.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
The essence of the tale becomes more important than any one phrase or scene.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
The story splits its time between young Wash's misadventures and the older, adult Wash's tale of first love with a biracial woman, Tanna (Iola Evans), and a brush with danger in the form of bounty hunter, Willard (Billy Boyd).
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 28 May 2025
Set in America in 1856, this tale shows what life was like on an orphan train and gives a unique glimpse into American history.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
The essence of the tale becomes more important than any one phrase or scene.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
The story splits its time between young Wash's misadventures and the older, adult Wash's tale of first love with a biracial woman, Tanna (Iola Evans), and a brush with danger in the form of bounty hunter, Willard (Billy Boyd).
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
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Wisely, the studio is keeping the story in the same universe by involving both Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han while starting a new story with Ben Wang’s Li Fong.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Like it or not, businesses and thought leaders operate in an information ecosystem where willful lies and concocted conspiracies are amplified by algorithms.—
Rhea Wessel,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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But to see American history as simply a narrative of heroism would be a lie unbecoming a great nation.—
James T. Kloppenberg,
Time,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Few people likely associate Oscar Wilde’s famed 1890 novella The Picture of Dorian Gray with the tech-laden, scroll-heavy social media of the 21st century.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
21 May 2025
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But then came her debut in Parineeta, with her role based on a well-rounded character in a popular novella.—
Sunil Sadarangani,
Deadline,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Sconce eventually pleaded guilty to 21 criminal counts — including for mutilating corpses, holding mass cremations and hiring hit men — and was sentenced in 1989 to five years in prison.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
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Panasonic wins on word count, which is more of an amusing side note since OM and Panasonic often vie for the lengthiest lens names in the industry.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
31 May 2025
Noun
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There are no tanks on the streets or intelligence agents stamping out whispers of dissent.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
29 May 2025
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One legend says workers found fake coins during excavations on the site; others hold whispers of kings, assassinations and shady land ownership.—
Lily Radziemski,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Noun
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But even more than that, Joe wants to be the hero of this warped fable.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
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The exhibition at DuSable Black History Museum features works made by Nazareno in response to Brazilian fables that that draw inspiration from the pantheon of Orixás–a system of entities worshipped in parts of Africa and Latin America.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Bruins failed to tack on runs with the bases loaded, but Kaitlyn Terry made sure the early tally was enough.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
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The tally was busier last time around, which meant there wasn’t room for Sheeran’s latest.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
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By 2023, The Marvels had earned the MCU its lowest box office amount and Rotten Tomatoes score, at $210 million and 62% respectively, a stark decline.—
Braedon Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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In addition to the credit score impacts, those who have defaulted on their federal student loans will likely see their wages garnished by the Department of Education.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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