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
Why is the narrator telling this tale now?
—
Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
After a stop at his gravesite, meet up with the historical society for a walking tour of Sleepy Hollow and nearby sites like the Old Dutch Church, which makes an appearance in Irving’s tale.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Barry Humphries, a longtime friend of Birley’s, did his Dame Edna schtick on both nights, regaling the audience with tales of a love affair with his pal.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
This low-budget modern classic tells the terrifying tale of a mother, her son, and a freaky picture book that just won't go away, creating the kind of atmospheric chaos that takes up residence in your head forever.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
After a stop at his gravesite, meet up with the historical society for a walking tour of Sleepy Hollow and nearby sites like the Old Dutch Church, which makes an appearance in Irving’s tale.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Barry Humphries, a longtime friend of Birley’s, did his Dame Edna schtick on both nights, regaling the audience with tales of a love affair with his pal.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
This low-budget modern classic tells the terrifying tale of a mother, her son, and a freaky picture book that just won't go away, creating the kind of atmospheric chaos that takes up residence in your head forever.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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This would provide 20 two-story units and eight one-story, one-bedroom units.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Settle into lie-flat leather seating, savor gourmet meals prepared by a private chef, and enjoy a selection of fine wines and spirits.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
21 Oct. 2025
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Like many people, she was taken in by his lies.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It’s adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella and follows Robert Grainier, a logger working on the railroad that will cross the United States, at the turn of the 20th century.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
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In total, Harrison wrote 14 books for the series, as well as a series of five mini-summer novellas and a Cliquetionary, a guide to the tween characters' slang.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While audits and hand counts have shown that the state's election results are accurate, Colorado has been at the epicenter of false election claims.—
Bente Birkeland,
NPR,
18 Oct. 2025
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McBee pled guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud in November 2024, resulting in the reality star receiving $3,158,923 in unauthorized benefits.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The interior aims for a whisper quiet experience with acoustic glass, and features leather seats with heating, cooling and massaging functions.—
Tony Leopardo,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
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While the ability to hear a whisper is remarkable, the more essential question is whether the children could understand what was being said.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There’s a whole other movie happening within Good Fortune‘s attempt to Aesop-fable its way to some moral about a modest life being a more fulfilling one even if you’re forced to live in your car.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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The film, a political fable, is about Marcel, a widower, a quiet man seeking refuge in a safe place, and a place of safety to raise his young son, while paranoia reigns around him.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Flight delays worldwide were minimal on Monday morning, according to a FlightAware tally.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
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The only albums that had a higher number than 338,000 units in a single frame this year were first-week figures for releases from Wallen (who opened with 493,000), the Weeknd (who started with 490,000), Sabrina Carpenter (which started with 366K) and, of course, Swift’s own debut tally.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Aggregate score is not a factor.—
Avi Creditor,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Since there was no elimination last week, viewer votes from Dedication Night and Wicked Night were combined with the judges’ scores from both nights to determine the couple sent home.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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