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
According to Olipop co-founder and CEO Ben Goodwin, there's a tell-tale sign to watch out for.
—
Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
Back when Dragon Ball Z was turning more Western audiences into anime fans, Berserk brought the tale of Guts and his mercenary adventures to startling life.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
The Judases, as was their namesake, are a cautionary tale.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
This is more than just a cautionary tale for Democrats who want to win races.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
Back when Dragon Ball Z was turning more Western audiences into anime fans, Berserk brought the tale of Guts and his mercenary adventures to startling life.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
The Judases, as was their namesake, are a cautionary tale.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
This is more than just a cautionary tale for Democrats who want to win races.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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Her stories began running Monday and will continue this week.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The story has too many rich details to be a lie, and Marlon knows something of woe too.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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Schiff has been repeatedly criticized by the President, who claimed that the Senator had made up lies about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Featuring illustrations by Sophie Blackall, the novella wraps up the trilogy that DiCamillo largely wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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Based on Denis Johnson’s beloved novella, Train Dreams is the portrait of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly changing America of the early 20th Century.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Jose Alex Guarneros-Granados, also from Mexico, was convicted of multiple counts of domestic battery and strangulation and sentenced to nine years in prison, Covington said.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Officers arrested Spears on one count of assault/family violence, and he was booked into the Arlington City Jail.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That was the quiet whisper response to anybody who thought Biden shouldn’t run.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
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For those who can already hear the whispers of falling leaves and detect the faint aroma of pumpkin spice, keep scrolling to shop our favorite finds from the launch.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Master is the greatest of them all, a movie peopled by characters who are at once intensely human and also the stuff of otherworldly fables.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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After outlining that corrupt deal, Du Bois dissects how scholarship sympathetic to the northern interests then rewrote Reconstruction’s history, turning the period into a fable of failure while caricaturing Black political leadership and widespread democratic participation.—
Zephyr Teachout,
The Atlantic,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That tally excludes renewals, job changes, petitions involving multiple employers and other circumstances.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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But the gimmick ended on a happy note for the Boys & Girls Club after CBS and Bargatze added to the tally and got it up to a grand total of $350,000 — much to the delight of the audience.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As viewers know, the judges base their scores on a number of factors, including technique and performance, and can deduct points if performers break any golden dance rules.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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Shey Peddy drained a three to bring the score to 101-98, but the Fever’s immense efforts fell short as Young and Wilson sunk six free throws between them in the final 20 seconds to close out the series and advance to the Finals.—
Frank Nunns O'Connell,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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