tales

Definition of talesnext
plural of tale
1
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
4
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

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 tales One of Bob Markle’s favorite tales had its setting a few years before World War II, when, except for walking, the only access to northern Wisconsin’s back country was by old logging railways. Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026 Share a story from your own experiences, then take in someone else’s tales. Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026 Ostensibly an effort to recenter the female perspective in some of the most famous tales from the Book of Genesis, the three-part event miniseries instead treats its characters like paper dolls to be pushed around at the whims of a narrative set in stone millennia ago. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 Mar. 2026 Few corporate cautionary tales are as vivid as the rise and fall of Moderna Inc. Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026 Dumas wrote his titular character as a man of mystique and a naturally charming presence capable of holding court with a wealth of tales from exotic locales. Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026 Boisterous and welcoming, Georgia regaled us with tales from Gary’s childhood, but a concern for her son’s present state lurked not far beneath the surface. Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026 Add to that litany of cautionary tales the likes of Broad Green, remembered for offering staff perks like free meals from private chefs, but not for its movies. Brent Lang, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026 The three-hour-long production glides through dances and tales of ancient Hawaii, Tahiti, Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand) and Samoa. Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
Noun
  • For more than four decades, the Korean immigrant has worked at the shop near Travis Air Force Base, hearing countless stories of loss, sacrifice and heartbreak from military families and service members.
    Kenny Choi, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Paxton told stories about running for office for the first time and his 2023 impeachment.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • These pivotal memories of Clark and Floyd’s buddy romance amount to another darkly comic portrait of a nontoxic male friendship — complete with nontraditional definitions of manhood that place meaningful friendships over monolithic strength — all built on a foundation of lies and insecurities.
    Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Its entire ecosystem—social media, podcasts, and talk radio—is committed to spreading lies and conspiracy theories, to stoking rage and resentment.
    Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Stern has also published four collections of stories, four novellas, and two children’s books, all of them steeped in Jewish folklore.
    Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
  • For reading widely, there’s discovery to be had among novellas, which thanks to their short length can get away with being weird and different.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Brett Michael Dadig of Whitehall Borough pleaded guilty last week to 11 counts of cyberstalking, interstate stalking, and interstate threats, the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania said in a news release.
    Michael Guise, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
  • She was arrested on two counts of criminally negligent homicide, according to Erath County jail records, and her bail was set at $29,000.
    Jamie Landers, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Waddle is a diminutive deity in Texas, where whispers of his spirit twist across baseball diamonds and basketball courts and football fields from Bellaire to the Woodlands to Dallas.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
  • This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane.
    Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Campbell shook hands and chatted it up with scores of familiar faces during the workout at Sac State, including Hornets athletic director Mark Orr.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2026
  • No Tarrant County restaurants were shut down as a result of the March 15-21 health inspections, but two establishments received low scores, according to data from the county compiled by the Star-Telegram.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Holloway tallies assists and makes space off the dribble.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Unofficial tallies have Noonan winning over Moore by nearly double the vote count.
    Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.

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