Synonyms of tales

tales

noun

plural of tale

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

• stories
• whispers
• canards
• gossip
• talks
• fables
• lies
• scuttlebutt
• libels
• slanders
• tattles
• hearsay
• defamations
• dirty laundry
• dirt
• fibs
• falsehoods
• fairy tales
• prevarications
• talebearings
• fabrications
• untruths
• mendacities
• whoppers
• falsities

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

• stories
• anecdotes
• yarns
• incidents
• episodes
• occurrences
• events
• happenings
• recitations
• recitals

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

• stories
• lies
• fables
• fibs
• fairy tales
• falsehoods
• prevarications
• fabrications
• untruths
• whoppers
• falsities
• ambiguities
• mendacities
• fictions
• distortions
• exaggerations
• half-truths
• taradiddles
• myths
• libels
• defamations
• slanders
• deceits
• equivocations
• nonsense
• obliquities
• perjuries
• bluffs
• misconceptions
• fraudulences
• fallacies
• pretenses
• poses
• misinformation
• misrepresentations
• misstatements
• duplicities
• falsifications
• canards
• dishonesties
• humbug
• jives
• misreports

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truths
• facts
• verities
• truisms
• confirmations
• substantiations
• verifications
• validations
• honesties
• authentications
• veracities

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

• stories
• novellas
• narratives
• yarns
• short stories
• histories
• fables
• anecdotes
• jokes
• myths
• novelettes
• legends
• romances
• parables
• records
• annals
• reports
• folktales
• fairy tales
• chronicles
• exempla
• bedtime stories
• accounts

5

as in counts

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• counts
• scores
• tallies
• censuses
• amounts
• recounts
• totals
• sums
• wholes
• grosses

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tales

By Christopher Arnott Even tales as old as time need to get told a different way every once in a while. — Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026

Everything else in these tales of Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister can be a bit over-amped and over-stylized. — ABC News, 1 July 2026

Rich talk and wild tales, all leavened with deep experience and salty humor. — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026

In the days after Grant’s death, Eric shared tales of his life. — Sam McDowell 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

This production introduces young audiences to classic American tales, including Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and John Henry, in a show packed with live music, outstanding storytelling and exciting moments kids will love. — Kayla Rivera, AJC.com, 30 June 2026

In the hands of Gillespie — whose specialty is edgy female-empowerment tales like the Oscar-winning I, Tonya and Cruella as well as the Emmy-winning Hulu series Pam & Tommy — how could the new Supergirl go wrong? — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 June 2026

Malia said Campbell’s response likely had something to do with childhood memories of tales told by his father that stayed with him forever. — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026

The special exhibit, which is on view throughout the year, includes tales of Naperville residents who have left their mark on local and national history, the settlement said. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026