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
Have a theme park tale to share?
—
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
Because either McCluskie is one heck of a con man who rolled both Becerra and Williamson, making both believe what was happening was kosher with entirely different tales, or someone isn’t being entirely honest.
—Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Watching the film today, its tale of fragile acceptance, and the velocity with which protections can crumble, is all too pressing a thematic point.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2026
Normally, our guests were people in recovery with a survivor’s tale of hope and redemption.
—David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
Because either McCluskie is one heck of a con man who rolled both Becerra and Williamson, making both believe what was happening was kosher with entirely different tales, or someone isn’t being entirely honest.
—Anita Chabria, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Watching the film today, its tale of fragile acceptance, and the velocity with which protections can crumble, is all too pressing a thematic point.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2026
Normally, our guests were people in recovery with a survivor’s tale of hope and redemption.
—David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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But two groups work tirelessly to tell Free Frank’s story — his descendants, spread widely across the country, and a small group of local residents who form the New Philadelphia Association.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Noun
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There, a mad, out-of-control Mary lives on as tenaciously as George Washington’s inability to tell a lie.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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As their lies unravel, Nora and Jack try to outsmart one another.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Can wrote her first novella, Yellow Mud Street (1987), at her sewing machine in between taking care of customers.—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
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Kent has also written the screenplay which is adapted from a 1973 science fiction novella by American writer James Tiptree, Jr (real name Alice B Sheldon).—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
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By Miller’s count, Fiebig had become one of the most prolific shot-stoppers in the state — in part because, well, U-46’s opponents rarely lacked for scoring chances.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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And then in a 2-2 count to Sal Frelick, Sasaki threw a fastball up and out of the zone.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Noun
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News reports would later surface that Keenan was negotiating with the Detroit Red Wings during the Rangers’ playoff run, but Olczyk and many of his teammates had already heard whispers.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Grande sings that lyric in a low tone, not quite a whisper, but something just as fragile and out of breath.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Noun
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On the other hand, pushing against this inevitability is a much more intriguing concept than simply presenting it as-is, over and over again, even when its specifics are disguised by a fable.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
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The crime thriller is understood to also be a political and moral fable, as the title, which is a nod to Greek mythology, hints at.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Noun
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To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
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Carlsson and Terry did combine to assist on Granlund’s power-play tally on Thursday, but the effectiveness of Anaheim’s top line waned as the series went on.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Among all critics, the Rotten Tomatoes score is a mediocre 60%, but these are critics who are often highly incentivized to celebrate major studio releases and increase their access.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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Some networks, such as ESPN, have integrated betting odds into news tickers that report live scores.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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