tale

noun

ˈtāl How to pronounce tale (audio)
Definition of talenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in count
a total number obtained or recorded by noting each thing as it was being added when the tale of the dead from the disaster is announced, the city will be in shock

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tale The writers of these biblical tales weren’t plagiarizing Homer, MacDonald says. — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 Nolan sets the tone by opening with a bard (Travis Scott) beginning to tell the tale of the fall of Troy—at least the idealized heroic version that the bard’s audiences are hungry to hear. — ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026 But the illicit art is only part of the operatic tale of the literal rise and metaphorical fall of what have become informally known as the graffiti towers. — Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 Fouling up the comics' tragically iconic tale involving Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and one really nasty fall. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
  1. story
  2. lie
  3. novella
  4. count
  5. whisper
  6. fable
  7. tally
  8. score
Noun
  • Unlike the low-tech solution in American author Mary Mapes Dodge's 19th-century story, modern dike patrols are able to plot possible problems caused by drought in an app and send it to authorities who can then quickly carry our repairs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • That episode inspires a Gospel story where Jesus is asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat during a furious storm.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of story
Noun
  • In the neck lie rectifying plates—one plate in the wash still, 17 in the spirit still—which allows for precision control over the whisky, as well as higher ABV distillate than a traditional pot setup.
    — David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • JetBlue's lie-flat Mint business class, which is used on longer-haul flights like cross-country trips and flights to European destinations including Paris, London and Milan, will only have the Standard and Flex option.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 27 July 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • Paramount Pictures is also developing Hendrix’s novella Bad Asstronauts.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 29 July 2026
  • Truman Capote, who wrote the original novella, had drawn inspiration from the blonde bombshell — something Ferrer believes may have made the role less appealing.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of novella
Noun
  • Seth Rollins missed a stomp, leading to a Buckle Bomb by Reigns and a stomp by Reigns for a two count and an enormous pop.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The artist made the massive splatter painting during the pandemic, and counts among his collectors an illustrious list of celebrities, including Madonna, George Clooney, and Bill Gates.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of count
Noun
  • More artwork with the Delizia al Limona, sponge cake soaked in limoncello with lemon cream and a whisper-thin, bright yellow lemon fondant.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • Absolutely’s groundedness can, in part, be credited to the journey of creating her second studio album, Paracosm, a dark-leaning, 13-track record that features self-examining lyrics and dynamic vocals, ranging from airy whispers to soaring belts.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Definition of whisper
Noun
  • The Little Prince is one of those books that is thought of as both a philosophical fable for children and adults.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 17 July 2026
  • Explore the Wild West from the back of a rickety wagon as characters share famed fables about Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, Pecos Bill, John Henry and Hekeke.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of fable
Noun
  • That same law pushed back a prohibition on using QR codes printed by Georgia’s current touchscreen system to tally votes until 2028.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 29 July 2026
  • Cannes’ Plage de la Croisette scored a 100; Pampelonne on the Saint-Tropez peninsula came in second with a tally of 86; Corsica’s Plage de Palombaggia held tenth place with 54 points.
    — Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of tally
Noun
  • His 2025 reality included middling separation scores and rates against both man and zone coverage.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The personal finance site then assigned the cities a score out of 100.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of score

Phrases Containing tale

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taking up with
tale
talebearer
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Cite this Entry

“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tale for Spanish Speakers

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