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
But before the summer was over, the other hero of the tale would prove to be the reconciliation process that was making the legislative win possible — a process with its origins in quite a different era of relations between Congress and the president.
—
Ron Elving, NPR, 17 May 2025
And no Ozzie Guillen on the premises to tell tall tales about the Wrigley Field rats.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
Returning to the wuxia genre that has defined much of his illustrious career, Tsui explains his approach to this latest adaptation of the classic martial arts tale.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2025
Junger noted that the new film would take its inspiration from Molière's 1666 play The Misanthrope, offering yet another contemporary retelling of a classic tale.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tale
Ron Elving, NPR, 17 May 2025
And no Ozzie Guillen on the premises to tell tall tales about the Wrigley Field rats.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
Returning to the wuxia genre that has defined much of his illustrious career, Tsui explains his approach to this latest adaptation of the classic martial arts tale.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2025
Junger noted that the new film would take its inspiration from Molière's 1666 play The Misanthrope, offering yet another contemporary retelling of a classic tale.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 May 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, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Tommy McArdle,
People.com,
19 May 2025
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After a long, arduous wait, her story caught the attention of Royal Canine.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
Noun
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Of California’s 280 state parks, 17 lie in San Diego County — and several of those rank high for visitors.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 May 2025
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The sister discovers this lie and sets out to find the baby for herself.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Subsequent seasons of Off Campus, the show, will presumably follow the other books, The Mistake, The Score, The Goal and The Legacy (a novella compiling stories from all of the couples).—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
7 May 2025
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Directed by Bart Layton, Crime 101 is based on author Don Winslow’s novella of the same name.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Corder was tried on 10 counts of murder, each based on a different theory on how Maria was killed, the BBC reported.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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Kushner pleaded guilty in 2005 to 18 counts and served two years in prison.—
Kevin Shalvey,
ABC News,
20 May 2025
Noun
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There have been a lot of whispers and rumours about where this prospective investment could come from but nothing concrete has emerged yet.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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There are enough vague, intractable whispers of diplomacy and further talks about talks, to provide the tantalising promise of a deal, without striking, or even delineating one.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
Noun
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The exhibition at DuSable Black History Museum features works made by Nazareno in response to Brazilian fables that that draw inspiration from the pantheon of Orixás–a system of entities worshipped in parts of Africa and Latin America.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Yes, two of the Stars’ goals were power-play tallies, but all three Granlund goals came from distance.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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Legend by Bob Marley and the Wailers is up to 1,185 stays on the tally.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Noun
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English started his day nearly four hours before the leaders, posting 65, the low score of the final round.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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Biden’s office said his score was 9, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive.—
Carla K. Johnson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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