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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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

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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 Written and directed by YouTube filmmaker Curry Barker, the film, made for $750,000, tells a twisted tale of love with deadly consequences. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 The agonizing legal circus surrounding Sumner Redstone’s final years at Paramount/Viacom is a sobering cautionary tale. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 6 July 2026 The magical engagements, from several incredible matches to the indelible Algeria-Lawrence tale to the utter joy of the Netherlands’ Oranje Fanwalk. — Vahe Gregorian july 4, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026 Contributing Writer Keith Cooper has the tale here After Americans declared independence on July 4, 1776, a waning gibbous moon rose in the night sky. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 4 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
  • This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 July 2026
  • Gil was trapped beneath more than 100 tons of rubble after the partial collapse of the Galerias Playa Grande commercial center, which includes buildings nine and four stories tall.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of story
Noun
  • The plane also includes a spacious press cabin, according to a pool reporter onboard, with lie-flat seats that feature a massage function and individual TV screens.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The press cabin contains 14 lie-flat pods, including large tan leather seats with luxury features such as lumbar supports and massage functions.
    — Emily Chang, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • The whole gang is back, ready to play their parts in this never-ending novella.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Based on a Stephen King novella, the period prison drama became a cult favorite thanks to video rentals and cable reruns.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of novella
Noun
  • Kent pleaded guilty in November to one count of providing material support to terrorists, according to court records.
    — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Jeff Johnson, a pastor and podcaster, shared the budget-friendly order in a social media video, saying his family skips individual meals and orders a 30-count nugget tray and a few buttered buns instead.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of count
Noun
  • Test your knowledge of cruise controversies, wedding whispers and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Sleep in peace with this tower fan, which is whisper-quiet at 25 decibels.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of whisper
Noun
  • 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.
    — Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • But the turtle/cat comment just sounds like a summary of Aesop’s absolute worst fable.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of fable
Noun
  • Normally, credit bureaus tally any credit checks within a 45-day period as one credit check, and your credit score shouldn't go down more than several points when applying to multiple lenders.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • Luis de la Fuente’s team made 23 open-play crosses in the game, which was the joint-third highest tally across their past five major international tournaments (three World Cups and two European Championships).
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of tally
Noun
  • Reading scores among high school seniors are at their lowest in decades, according to federal testing data, while schools across the country are grappling with how to respond to waning attention spans and artificial intelligence.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Kaishu Sano stole a pass in the middle of the field and then did the rest, running down the middle of the pitch before burying a right-footed strike into the left side of the goal, his first score in international play.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 30 June 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tale

Nglish: Translation of tale for Spanish Speakers

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