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
That journey to and through the divine world is long, and a plot synopsis in a review can’t really capture all of the characters and moving parts to this tale.
—
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025
Lady Murasaki’s diary suggests a sort of singing-bird entrapment—a sense of being under immense pressure to add new chapters to her tale; Michinaga would even go into her private space to steal her work in progress.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
The backstory for the maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth following the tragic death of her family.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
The two met in secret, and some versions of the story suggest their love lives on only in death, much like the Western tale of Romeo and Juliet.
—Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025
Lady Murasaki’s diary suggests a sort of singing-bird entrapment—a sense of being under immense pressure to add new chapters to her tale; Michinaga would even go into her private space to steal her work in progress.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
The backstory for the maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth following the tragic death of her family.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
The two met in secret, and some versions of the story suggest their love lives on only in death, much like the Western tale of Romeo and Juliet.
—Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Jordan Green and Diana Leyva contributed to this story.—
Joyce Orlando,
The Tennessean,
23 Aug. 2025
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This story covers travel in the first six months of the Braun administration.—
Brittany Carloni,
IndyStar,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This term was named Oxford's 2024 Word of the Year. Cap (noun): A lie.—
Mia Thurow,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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And this show is full of evidence uncovering where their tastes lie, and more broadly, what is considered a museum-worthy photo today.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Adapted by Max Porter from his novella Shy, Steve has Oscar winner Murphy playing a headteacher during a pivotal day for students at a last-chance reform school and in a world that has left them behind.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
22 July 2025
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Unsettling and lovely at once, this horror novella is a razor-sharp and bewitching fairytale about discovering the darkness in the world, as well as the darkness within oneself.—
Kalie Cassidy
July 25,
Literary Hub,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Singh now faces three counts of vehicular homicide, each carrying a 15-year sentence under Florida law, plus federal immigration violations.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
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Harjinder Singh, 28, was already facing three counts of vehicular homicide in connection with the fatal St. Lucie County crash on Aug. 12.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Sunday night, Trent Reznor opened the first Nine Inch Nails concert in the metro in a dozen years with a whisper, not a scream.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
18 Aug. 2025
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Trump sent his former lawyer, now deputy attorney general, to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, who was then summarily transferred to Club Fed amid whispers of a possible pardon.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Allusions to myths, fables, and riffs on common idioms abound, many of them evocative and quite funny.—
Lora Kelley,
New Yorker,
7 Aug. 2025
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As three people with remote connections to a house try to solve two brutal murders, the story becomes increasingly complicated and implausible, evolving into a fable about a cursed family.—
Pat Tompkins,
AFAR Media,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Netflix still holds bragging rights for the all-time nomination record with 160 nods in 2020, and shares the record for most wins in a single year — 44 victories in 2021, matching CBS’ 1974 tally.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 Aug. 2025
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That track lived on the tally for 38 weeks, eight of which were at No. 1.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The 24-year-old finished tied for 13th at the British Masters with an 8-under score, giving him enough points to displace Lowry.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
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Fort Myers ranks number two with a livability score of 85 and one of the largest retiree populations in the nation at 22%.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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