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
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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
There’s water everywhere, approach angles that punish the wrong side of the fairway, and a closing stretch with a long history of turning good rounds into cautionary tales.
—
Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Celebrate all things Irish, rock out to four bands, watch a musical that intertwines two mythic tales, see a Baltimore cult classic at the Senator Theatre and listen to a soulful tribute to R&B legends.
—John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026
Myth and reality in military AI Science fiction tales of military AI are often misleading.
—Jon R. Lindsay, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
Volkspele were historical cosplay events for preteens, musical re-enactments of the Great Trek — the 19th-century migration of Afrikaner settlers away from British rule, heading inland in ox-wagons, that has been mythologized through tales of women and children crossing the Drakensberg barefoot.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Discovery tales → Archaeologists uncovered a 1,000-year-old tomb containing gold chest plates, ear ornaments and other elite burial treasures.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
If every love story is a ghost story, as David Foster Wallace wrote, those who tell the tales might consider how many of love’s ghosts are still alive.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Around the old-growth-fir dining table, Nansen regales us with tales of the rebuild.
—Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2026
Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Celebrate all things Irish, rock out to four bands, watch a musical that intertwines two mythic tales, see a Baltimore cult classic at the Senator Theatre and listen to a soulful tribute to R&B legends.
—John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026
Myth and reality in military AI Science fiction tales of military AI are often misleading.
—Jon R. Lindsay, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026
Volkspele were historical cosplay events for preteens, musical re-enactments of the Great Trek — the 19th-century migration of Afrikaner settlers away from British rule, heading inland in ox-wagons, that has been mythologized through tales of women and children crossing the Drakensberg barefoot.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Discovery tales → Archaeologists uncovered a 1,000-year-old tomb containing gold chest plates, ear ornaments and other elite burial treasures.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
If every love story is a ghost story, as David Foster Wallace wrote, those who tell the tales might consider how many of love’s ghosts are still alive.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
Around the old-growth-fir dining table, Nansen regales us with tales of the rebuild.
—Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
Noun
-
Instead of desultoriness—a common atmosphere in these sorts of stories—the prevailing mood is one of qualified happiness.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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Kim Hjelmgaard is an investigative journalist covering global stories for USA TODAY, from living rooms to conflict zones.—
Younes Mohammad,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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MarQuetta Clayton, Rueda's attorney, showed messages from Signal that Baumann admitted were lies, including one about his parents being at risk of deportation.—
Kelsy Mittauer,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Both wars were based on lies about imminent threats from nuclear weapons to justify wars of choice.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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The plan, as outlined by Orsi in that February 2025 Deadline interview, is to adapt all three of the novellas in the Dunk and Egg collection across three total seasons.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Ari Lauer pleaded guilty in October 2025 to 23 counts of fraud in the case of DC solar, a Benicia company that served as a front for a nearly $1 billion Ponzi scheme that duped major corporations and sophisticated investors including Berkshire Hathaway chair Warren Buffett.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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In three at-bats of a 4-1 win against San Diego Monday, McCutchen made his spring debut with a double, two balls that left the bat at over 100 mph, took a pair of counts to full and saw 16 pitches overall.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Jessica Alba's beau just quietly debunked whispers that the actress is secretly dating an NFL star.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fitzpatrick, like Young, finished his day with a double bogey at the difficult 18th, one of seven scores of six or worse there Saturday.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Leapfrog is one of several sources for patients to check safety scores of their local hospitals.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Minnesota rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the first half of the third period with a pair of special-teams tallies.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
8 Mar. 2026
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Seamus Shanahan and Zack Weiner added the additional tallies before the break.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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