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 novelle
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 tales
The lore of the position is passed between players like travelers telling tales at a campfire.
—
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Read on for the candid confessions and cautionary tales that might save you from making the same mistakes.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
While there aren’t any specific ghost tales associated with this cemetery, the grounds serve as the final resting place of several early park guests, staff, and Southern Sierra Miwok Nation community members.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Initially, bedtime stories tended to be moralistic tales designed to reinforce obedience and proper behavior.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The tales explore how the people/rats/cats who inhabit the house are driven by selfish desires — and how they are subsequently rewarded or punished by a twist of fate.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Children’s first story arc told of a town plagued by monsters that feast on children, with one teen survivor telling tales that no adult believes.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
But the three tales are arguably too tonally and structurally similar, hitting a familiar note of nausea ad nauseam, and the whole doesn’t really exceed the sum of its parts.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 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
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Read on for the candid confessions and cautionary tales that might save you from making the same mistakes.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
While there aren’t any specific ghost tales associated with this cemetery, the grounds serve as the final resting place of several early park guests, staff, and Southern Sierra Miwok Nation community members.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Initially, bedtime stories tended to be moralistic tales designed to reinforce obedience and proper behavior.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The tales explore how the people/rats/cats who inhabit the house are driven by selfish desires — and how they are subsequently rewarded or punished by a twist of fate.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Children’s first story arc told of a town plagued by monsters that feast on children, with one teen survivor telling tales that no adult believes.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
But the three tales are arguably too tonally and structurally similar, hitting a familiar note of nausea ad nauseam, and the whole doesn’t really exceed the sum of its parts.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
Noun
-
The thrill of the unexplained is what prompts so many to take ghost tours, which often tell juicy and sometimes goosebump-inducing stories that give historic sites a richer context.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Those stories kept the massive, icy North American territory in his mind until this year.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Over and over, Art gifted me with his deep knowledge of Pacific flora and volunteered anecdotes of his extensive sociological fieldwork.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
-
These are not anecdotes but lifelines.—
Alessia Glaviano,
Vogue,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Further in lies a backlit bar, catering kitchen, and wine room—all three of which can be put to use during parties.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
-
What stands out is the sheer volume of lies that Ozer allegedly told.—
Steve Belanger,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Combs had been sentenced to 50 months (roughly more than four years) by a judge after a two-month trial ended with him being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Bowers, was convicted on all 63 federal counts in 2023 and sentenced to death.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Yet the chairman Ron Noades and Coppell heard whispers of transfer interest.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
External whispers were ignored, leaving Scheyer thrilled in landing the late-bloomer from Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Lutheran High School.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
In terms of perspective on the series, like the novellas — and unlike Game of Thrones — the panelists underscored that this story is led by Dunk in almost every way.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trinidad Chambliss threw for 315 yards and one touchdown, adding another 53 rushing yards, while running back Kewan Lacy added two rushing scores in a balanced performance the team desperately needed after the previous week’s loss to Georgia.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Prioritizing grades, test scores, and college admissions as the main measures of success often undermines young people’s futures and strains parent-child relationships.—
Ana Homayoun,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Los Angeles came back from a 3-0 first-period deficit with three tallies in the third as Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield lit the lamp before Kempe’s tying score.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
-
When large and small crowds in large and small towns gather respectfully, even exuberantly, to register their response to the country’s direction, measuring newsworthiness by body count or damage tallies misses the critical story.—
Nancy Gibbs,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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