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
This buddy comedy is perfect for dinosaur fans and tells an inspirational tale about friendship.
—
Sydni Ellis, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
There was one further twist in the tale.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
There’s a rich trove of entertaining tales of the wealthy and entitled interacting with their servants.
—Louis J. Esterhazy, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2025
The scene is a familiar one in these kinds of tales of regression, but Apatow imbues it with a tenderness.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Sydni Ellis, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
There was one further twist in the tale.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
There’s a rich trove of entertaining tales of the wealthy and entitled interacting with their servants.
—Louis J. Esterhazy, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2025
The scene is a familiar one in these kinds of tales of regression, but Apatow imbues it with a tenderness.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Advertisement Then, in February, after an early version of the site was ready, a story about Shield Seniors and Tejasvi appeared in the Dallas Observer, bringing her to the attention of the people at AARP.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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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, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And then everything else about the money is just another lie.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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It is entirely based on Hamas’s campaign of lies and the laundering of those lies by others.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Benjamin Voisin, who previously worked with Ozon on Summer of 85, stars as protagonist Meursault, the novella’s French expat protagonist who senselessly kills a local man on a beach.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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Rob Reiner’s 1986 adaptation of Stephen King’s novella The Body was an instant coming-of-age classic, and continues to reach new generations each year.—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Both have been charged with first-degree murder, three counts of possession of opiate, opium, narcotic, or certain stimulant, and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
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By Forbes’ count, at least 14 billionaires earned early paychecks at such chains – often spending long hours frying foods, scrubbing bathrooms and emptying trash for minimum wages.—
Martina Castellanos,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Davis remembers hearing the whispers of concern.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Well, the test screening whisper network has said glowing things about it so far.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Swift’s dismay about a powerful ex became a fable for any girl courted by an older guy.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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This fable includes abuse and hatred, darkness, magic, love.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The final tally for Weymouth came on a two-yard run late in the third as senior Jackson Frasca found paydirt.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
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Sombr and Billie Eilish Share the Top 10 Both Sombr and Eilish claim multiple spaces inside the top 10 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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His score-tying single in the seventh inning fell at Giancarlo Stanton’s feet in left field, easily allowing pinch runner Jacob Melton to motor home from second base.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Borrower delinquencies started appearing on credit reports in 2025, leading to sudden drops in credit scores.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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