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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tales
Because either McCluskie is one heck of a con man who rolled both Becerra and Williamson, making both believe what was happening was kosher with entirely different tales, or someone isn’t being entirely honest.
—
Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
But even Black athletes whose athleticism gifted them an extremely exclusive express lane in life can tell you stories about growing up a minority in America, or tales their parents or grandparents have told.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The movie ends with Johnny regaling Baraka with tales of his heroism.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Parallel Tales is a keeper, tales well told.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Three months in which Liu, one of figure skating’s most high profile cautionary tales, has transcended her sport to achieve pop icon status.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Boyson and co-screenwriter Ricky Camilleri overlap tales of two seemingly opposite young guys – wealthy New York teen Balthazar Malone (Jaeden Martell, a casting coup) and loner Texas trailer-park dweller Solomon Jackson (Asa Butterfield, in one of his best performances yet).
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
But there are amazing tales of survival as well.
—Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Since launching in Los Angeles in 2021, Bleak Week has consistently supported the notion that well-rendered, artistic tales of devastation play best to rooms full of people who are already primed for heartbreak.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
But even Black athletes whose athleticism gifted them an extremely exclusive express lane in life can tell you stories about growing up a minority in America, or tales their parents or grandparents have told.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The movie ends with Johnny regaling Baraka with tales of his heroism.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Parallel Tales is a keeper, tales well told.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Three months in which Liu, one of figure skating’s most high profile cautionary tales, has transcended her sport to achieve pop icon status.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Boyson and co-screenwriter Ricky Camilleri overlap tales of two seemingly opposite young guys – wealthy New York teen Balthazar Malone (Jaeden Martell, a casting coup) and loner Texas trailer-park dweller Solomon Jackson (Asa Butterfield, in one of his best performances yet).
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
But there are amazing tales of survival as well.
—Paul Eisenberg, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Since launching in Los Angeles in 2021, Bleak Week has consistently supported the notion that well-rendered, artistic tales of devastation play best to rooms full of people who are already primed for heartbreak.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
Noun
-
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,
17 May 2026
-
Superhero stories are copaganda; sitcoms sell middle-class norms.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Created by Tyler Perry as a spinoff of the BET+ series Sistas, the series follows Zac (Devale Ellis) and Fatima (Crystal Renee Hayslett) as their relationship is tested by secrets and lies.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 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
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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
-
Brown is expected to face multiple charges, including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, along with weapons offenses.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
-
Following a jury trial, Pasqual was also convicted of counts of injuring a spouse or partner, first-degree burglary and rape, according to court documents.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Of course, this being DC and the WHCD, there are always whispers and smoke.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The amount of hearing patients gained varied, but 80% achieved at least some significant hearing restoration and 42% ended up with normal hearing, which included the ability to hear whispers, Regeneron says.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dowdell was selected the MVP of the contest with 141 yards receiving, two scores and an interception on defense.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
-
Advertisement Notably, however, many states that were implementing such reforms had also not yet seen turn-arounds in reading scores as of last year.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
That tallies with an estimate from Iran’s Chamber of Commerce.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
There were over 1,000 more Democratic ballots than Republican ballots submitted in the primary, according to unofficial vote tallies from Tuesday’s primary.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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