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
The seminal comic, a Batman tale that ended up reshaping the comics medium, is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
—
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
The tale of Eve being blamed for the sin of man in the Garden of Eden was also a strong inspiration.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
So this is a tough tale of redemption, right?
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Like many a good Florida tale, this one begins in a watering hole with all the trappings of a Carl Hiaasen novel.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
The tale of Eve being blamed for the sin of man in the Garden of Eden was also a strong inspiration.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
So this is a tough tale of redemption, right?
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Like many a good Florida tale, this one begins in a watering hole with all the trappings of a Carl Hiaasen novel.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and donors in South Florida’s Jewish and Muslim communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza and the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
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Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These pivotal memories of Clark and Floyd’s buddy romance amount to another darkly comic portrait of a nontoxic male friendship — complete with nontraditional definitions of manhood that place meaningful friendships over monolithic strength — all built on a foundation of lies and insecurities.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
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Its entire ecosystem—social media, podcasts, and talk radio—is committed to spreading lies and conspiracy theories, to stoking rage and resentment.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The stories in this collection range from a novella from her post-apocalyptic Sixth World series to a science fiction piece about a conflicted student attending university on a space station.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
20 Mar. 2026
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Stern has also published four collections of stories, four novellas, and two children’s books, all of them steeped in Jewish folklore.—
Cathleen Schine,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Teriosi Ludwig, 32, is facing one count of invasion of privacy, according to a Platte County charging document.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Safiullah Manzoor, 43, of Walnut Creek, who was arrested March 11, is charged with a felony count of embezzlement over time.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The leather was supple, the finishes clean, and the zipper for the bottom compartment glided without so much as a whisper of a snag.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Addie leaned in with a whisper.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Described as a political fable that combines elements of a crime thriller with epic tragedy, the plot of Minotaur sees a Russian corporate executives preparing to carry out mass layoffs, who discovers his wife is having an affair.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
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That lurid fable was followed by 2023’s Pictures of Ghosts, an impressionistic documentary that told the parallel stories of Mendonça Filho’s life in movies and Recife’s decaying cinemas.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Only one Fed voter wanted to lower rates this time around, and the tally was 11-1 to keep rates steady.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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The machines print a paper ballot with a QR code, a type of barcode, that scanners use to tally votes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Montelongos Home Run Pizza, located at 718 West Jefferson Blvd, had a score of 99.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
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Here are the candidates that were to be featured in the March 24 debate, in order of those with the top candidate viability scores.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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