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

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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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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

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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 Author, podcaster and Mysterious Chicago Tours host Adam Selzer tells the whole tale during tours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through October. — Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Behind the scenes was a tale much more complex and, in many ways, more inspiring. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 How did the zombie go from being an emblem of enslavement and loss of autonomy in Haitian Vodou to the favorite flesh-eating grotesquerie of postapocalyptic tales? — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026 Nalla Roberts has been fascinated with tales like this for years, growing obsessed with Greek myths in her childhood. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
  1. story
  2. lie
  3. novella
  4. count
  5. whisper
  6. tally
  7. score
Noun
  • While the episodic stories reflect the never-ending parade of tourists and partygoers, the show also provides Dennis and Rosa with long-term arcs.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Suffice it to say the mystery bullets that landed in Rate Field’s bleachers in 2023 and wounded two women definitely aren’t relevant to this feel-good story but are worth mentioning to remind us how much the Sox narrative has changed.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of story
Noun
  • Recounting the disappearance of his sister Jade 20 years earlier, this text threatens to expose the lies, secrets and rifts within a group of friends bound forever by tragic events.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • On the lower level lie the Oceanfront Balcony and Premium Oceanfront Balcony rooms, with the same factors distinguishing Premium from not.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • As for the sitting president, he’s named just once, in the opening line of the titular novella.
    — Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The company is working on a feature adaptation of Pulitzer Prize finalist Torrey Peters’ novella Stag Dance and a feature romantic comedy from Carly Usdin and Brittani Nichols featuring WNBA players Gabby Williams, Theresa Plaisance, and Syd Colson.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of novella
Noun
  • Around 180 Intermarche or its Netto brand supermarkets were targeted, parent company Les Mousquetaires told TIME, although BFM-TV reported a higher count of 300.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Others have been buried by the migrants themselves, but they won't be added to the official count until authorities can verify the bodies, Alexandre Coissac, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, told the Associated Press via the phone.
    — JAMEY KEATEN, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of count
Noun
  • There are whispers in France of these protests transforming into another Yellow Vests movement, which was leaderless, nationwide and unified a broad church of grievances.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Dyson Air Purifier Prime Day Deals The Dyson Hushjet is a compact, small-form air purifier that's whisper-quiet but powerful.
    — Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of whisper
Noun
  • The number of emergency applications now rivals the annual tally of cases the justices consider with full briefing and oral arguments, Alito wrote in a new book released Tuesday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Capacity at the Hudson Theatre was close to 100 percent, but the strong tally was also due to the average ticket price of $275, the highest on Broadway last week.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of tally
Noun
  • Although the halftime score wasn’t lopsided, UCLA dominated through two quarters.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The film is described as a Chinese opera drama, with Bharadwaj composing Indian-style music numbers for the score, pairing the two traditions within a single production.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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