1
as in tale
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally
Grandpa likes to tell yarns about when he was young
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2
as in story
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
a ripping yarn about space travel and alien monsters
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yarn
The haberdashery is all about crafting supplies—specialty fabrics, yarns, and handprinted textiles—while the new mercantile focuses on finished artisan goods, apothecary items, unique gifts and whimsical home décor from small makers.
—
Debby Rice, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Hank is not named for any person but is actually the term for a traditional coil of yarn, Purkis said.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
There’s this wonderful sense of a yarn being spun, of a story maestro saying, here, follow me.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
The Diplomat, Slow Horses, and Paradise all feel like worthy nominees, but the fact that these three crowd-pleasing geopolitical conspiracy yarns have such overlap in their themes is going to keep any one of them from leaping ahead as a winner.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for yarn
Debby Rice, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Hank is not named for any person but is actually the term for a traditional coil of yarn, Purkis said.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
There’s this wonderful sense of a yarn being spun, of a story maestro saying, here, follow me.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
The Diplomat, Slow Horses, and Paradise all feel like worthy nominees, but the fact that these three crowd-pleasing geopolitical conspiracy yarns have such overlap in their themes is going to keep any one of them from leaping ahead as a winner.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for yarn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yarn
Noun
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Distiller Théron Regnier and beverage director Hope Ewing lead guests through cocktails made with experimental spirits, while a host shares tales, legends and histories behind the ingredients and flavors.—
Kaila Yu,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Unfortunately, this is a two-part tale.—
Sam McDowell
Updated May 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Noun
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But two groups work tirelessly to tell Free Frank’s story — his descendants, spread widely across the country, and a small group of local residents who form the New Philadelphia Association.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Ali Raz is a fiction writer, essayist, and author of the collaborative poetry project Human Tetris and the novella Alien.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Can wrote her first novella, Yellow Mud Street (1987), at her sewing machine in between taking care of customers.—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Noun
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As Glyph rounds into the homestretch the narrative broadens, a flash of transcendence for the soldier and horse, a ray of hope for Petra and Patch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
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Leetch, meanwhile, has consistently pushed back on that narrative.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yarn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yarn. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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