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
Immigration tales tend to adopt a hybrid form—part elegy for life in the home country, part hymn to the promise of the new.
—
Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
The rest will fade into irrelevance — remembered not for their art or innovation, but as cautionary tales of what happens when inclusion becomes optional.
—Kimberly S. Reed, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
We were inspired by their outrageous VHS cover art that promised epic tales of heroic barbarians rescuing buxom babes from giant monsters.
—Bear McCreary, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
More recently his stories are pure fantasy tales.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
The project, selected for Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF), adapts Chinese-American author Ying Chang Compestine’s bestselling 2016 YA book into a feature-length collection of four interconnected tales.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
There was a distinct set of tales dealing with demons who collected idle chatter in churches, and, over time, these stories were folded into the expanding legend of Tutivillus.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
That suits its otherworldly and somewhat formal tone, which takes viewers deep into Japan’s mythical past for a quartet of eerie tales about lonely ghosts and vengeful spirits who bring supernatural justice to selfish and immoral humans.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
For people scared of investing, Tu says to look closer at those cautionary tales.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 Oct. 2025
Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
The rest will fade into irrelevance — remembered not for their art or innovation, but as cautionary tales of what happens when inclusion becomes optional.
—Kimberly S. Reed, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
We were inspired by their outrageous VHS cover art that promised epic tales of heroic barbarians rescuing buxom babes from giant monsters.
—Bear McCreary, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
More recently his stories are pure fantasy tales.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
The project, selected for Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF), adapts Chinese-American author Ying Chang Compestine’s bestselling 2016 YA book into a feature-length collection of four interconnected tales.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
There was a distinct set of tales dealing with demons who collected idle chatter in churches, and, over time, these stories were folded into the expanding legend of Tutivillus.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
That suits its otherworldly and somewhat formal tone, which takes viewers deep into Japan’s mythical past for a quartet of eerie tales about lonely ghosts and vengeful spirits who bring supernatural justice to selfish and immoral humans.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
For people scared of investing, Tu says to look closer at those cautionary tales.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
Noun
-
Gay's new docuseries features stories from former Mormons who allege abuse by Church members.—
Justin Ravitz,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Directly underneath lies an open-air beach club with fold-down platforms that open to create roughly 645 square feet of space suspended above the water.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The lies are transparent and unapologetic.—
Shadi Hamid,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Those books, now numbering eight (plus several novellas), have been adapted as Apple TV’s Emmy-winning series Slow Horses, whose fifth season concluded Wednesday (Apple has ordered two more seasons).—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Christina Leona Cowens, 41, was initially arrested last week on suspicion of felony grand theft, along with misdemeanor counts of unlawful disposal of human remains and attempting to conceal a death.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Unlike the Taurids, the Leonids last less than a week, with maximum hourly counts near 10, though this varies from year to year.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This could trigger everything from whispers and misunderstandings to grudges that resurface in the group chat.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The whispers of China’s rise have been ongoing since the Obama administration, but the power that was unintentionally ceded due to the actions taken by the first and second Trump administrations cannot be overlooked.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
DeVonta Smith is the top target for Hurts with 44 receptions for 588 yards and two scores, while tight end Dallas Goedert has seven TD catches.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
In the second year of the policy, the number of suspensions returned to near normal, but researchers saw modest but meaningful improvements in both state test scores and attendance.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
According to electoral tallies collected by the opposition, which CNN’s analysis found to be legitimate, Maduro won about 30% of the vote in last year’s election.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In Venezuela’s July 28, 2024, presidential election, the democratic movement led by Machado mobilized more than a million volunteers across the country to monitor and collect digital copies of official voting tallies, known as actas, before Maduro’s security forces could seize them.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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