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
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
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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
Carol Channing reduced Shalit to tears of laughter with her tale of a London dinner party with Lady Astor and Sir Benjamin Harrison by imitating the latter.
—
Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
The best in the genre are morality tales that deftly mine their themes without getting too heavy-handed, exploring the intricacies of human nature.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Or a bop, or a folk tale, or a battle cry, or a 10-minute coming of age song about a scarf.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 12 June 2026
In any case, Hoyt plans to expand her tale and continue researching the story.
—Dan Kelly
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
The best in the genre are morality tales that deftly mine their themes without getting too heavy-handed, exploring the intricacies of human nature.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Or a bop, or a folk tale, or a battle cry, or a 10-minute coming of age song about a scarf.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 12 June 2026
In any case, Hoyt plans to expand her tale and continue researching the story.
—Dan Kelly
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Balogun's big night marked a historic moment in one of the more fascinating American soccer stories in USMNT history.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
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This story has been updated with new information and to add video.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Prosecutors argued Murdaugh killed his wife and son to distract from his crumbling legal and financial world as years of thefts and lies were closing in on him.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
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Inside lies a reliable quartz movement (Omega 4061).—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Building on a concept devised by the director and producer Pierre-Henri Léon, Santiago Otheguy’s script plays fast and loose with Bizet’s opera and the Prosper Mérimée novella that inspired it — to the point of inventing an entirely new protagonist.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
31 May 2026
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But this world premiere from writer Ashley Robinson at Chicago Shakespeare Theater actually is based on the source novella by Annie Proulx.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The total vote count currently sits at 71 percent.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2026
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The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of a felony, the release states.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Look for alcohol-free, subtle formulas the goal is a whisper of fragrance, not a perfume cloud that announces itself from across the room.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
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In biergartens, servers carry trays where alcohol‑free helles — a traditional pale lager — sits shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the classic stuff, no longer ordered with a whisper or judgment.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Noun
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The novel has a freewheeling spirit that recalls Italo Calvino’s space fables in Cosmicomics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The collection spans centuries of storytelling in multiple genres, from migratory fairytales with kings and princesses to legends of ghosts and the Devil to fables with talking animals.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Most of this year’s total tally erosion traces to a single category.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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McCartney fails to lead the Official Album Downloads tally, where he's beaten by Boards of Canada.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The score was still 3-1 after 20 minutes, but Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb beat Bussi with a shot from the circles that crossed the goal line a fraction of a second after the clock hit zero.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The report stated that there was little immediate impact on standardized test scores, attendance or bullying rates.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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