1
as in stories
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature
don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in anecdotes
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lies
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in novellas
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tales
His story mostly exists in the 13th century version of Arthurian tales known as the Vulgate Cycle.
—
Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Ollinger was known to indulge fans with tales of unusual encounters with possible paranormal connection.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
Discovery tales → A breakthrough is helping experts put names to victims of a long-unsolved Arctic tragedy.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
Aboard the boat, Terry regales his passengers with tales of the river, from namesake Twain to tragic Lovers' Leap just downstream of Hannibal.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 31 May 2026
The excitement continued with a visit from none other than Indiana Jones played by Choco Clotfelter, who regaled the students with tales of the railroads, travel, and the founding of the Del Mar Fair.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
One of the most heart-wrenching tales was that of Adventure Consultants co-founder and renowned mountaineer Rob Hall, whose decision to stay with an incapacitated client near the summit cost him his life.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Those include some less-than-legal tales, such as the 1994 trio who pulled off a heist of a giant inflatable spider from the side of the American Eagle.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
The Simpsons struggle to find the light through two dark tales of the curious and bizarre in this Disney+ exclusive.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 May 2026
Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Ollinger was known to indulge fans with tales of unusual encounters with possible paranormal connection.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
Discovery tales → A breakthrough is helping experts put names to victims of a long-unsolved Arctic tragedy.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
Aboard the boat, Terry regales his passengers with tales of the river, from namesake Twain to tragic Lovers' Leap just downstream of Hannibal.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 31 May 2026
The excitement continued with a visit from none other than Indiana Jones played by Choco Clotfelter, who regaled the students with tales of the railroads, travel, and the founding of the Del Mar Fair.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
One of the most heart-wrenching tales was that of Adventure Consultants co-founder and renowned mountaineer Rob Hall, whose decision to stay with an incapacitated client near the summit cost him his life.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Those include some less-than-legal tales, such as the 1994 trio who pulled off a heist of a giant inflatable spider from the side of the American Eagle.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
The Simpsons struggle to find the light through two dark tales of the curious and bizarre in this Disney+ exclusive.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
Noun
-
Its grandeur, natural beauty, and larger-than-life mythos fuel these narratives, with some of the most sacred stories belonging to those who have resided on the land from time immemorial.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
The food and travel personality explores the people, places and hidden stories behind iconic global destinations.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The 37-year-old former Republican congressman from New York ran for office telling a series of lies and fabrications about his personal life.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
2 June 2026
-
Untangling the optimism from the lies of that period is a difficult task.—
Ola Morris Innset,
The Dial,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
This pair of novellas is about a middle-aged woman, the heroine’s sister, who comes to Tokyo intent on obtaining breast implants and a protagonist contemplating artificial insemination in a culture that doubts the procedure’s morality.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
House of the Dragon premieres its third season this summer ahead of a fourth and likely final season in 2028, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas, is in production on season 2 for release in 2027.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Why are vote counts slow in California?—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
He has also been charged with multiple counts of theft, burglary, criminal property damage, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, and unauthorized control of propelled vehicle, according to police.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
There had been political whispers in South Windsor since the November election about whether the decision disqualifying Amadasun was part of a Republican ploy to keep Democrats from achieving a council supermajority.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
-
This might be as simple as a public argument – hissing whispers in an elevator.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Fort Worth for May 24th - May 30th, 2026.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 June 2026
-
The rushing yards and 46 scores led the state.—
Johnny Gorches,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
The rapper recently released three albums, Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour, and dozens of songs featured on those full-lengths become hits across a variety of tallies.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
That tallies with findings of Professor Margie Davenport, the perinatal research lead for FIFA’s female athlete project, who has also worked with the NWSL and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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