1
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
this classic Christmas film is essentially a fable showing how every person's life has meaning and touches the lives of others
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2
as in myth
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature
according to an ancient fable the waters of the mountain spring are the tears of a woman weeping for her lost children
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3
as in tale
something that is the product of the imagination
the stories of lost cities of gold may have been fables deliberately concocted by Native Americans to dupe the Spanish
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
the fables that people tell themselves to rationalize their failures and shortcomings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fable
Its surrealistic elements blend with realistic properties and a unique video-game-like computer animation to create something remarkable: a cautious environmental fable and a testament to the power of working together to achieve a common goal.
—
Barry Levitt, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
The political fable, which uses anthropomorphic animals to tell a story about power and corruption, would become one of his most celebrated works.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
The bad news is that the same level of attention and care does not appear to have been extended to the story or the characters, which is lethal for something that’s supposed to be a modern-day fable.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2025
All this recalls the fable of the boy who cried wolf once too often.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Barry Levitt, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
The political fable, which uses anthropomorphic animals to tell a story about power and corruption, would become one of his most celebrated works.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
The bad news is that the same level of attention and care does not appear to have been extended to the story or the characters, which is lethal for something that’s supposed to be a modern-day fable.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2025
All this recalls the fable of the boy who cried wolf once too often.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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It’s been described as an allegory for current issues such as climate change.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2025
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Crouch used a canonical children’s fantasy movie as allegory for the the legal hurdles the district faced in relation to the proposal to split.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The lone creator is a myth that goes back a long time in art history.—
Jay Cheshes,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Wielding Excalibur, the sword of myth, Gawain grows more powerful as the sun rises, reaching peak strength at midday.—
Alan Yuhas,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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From casting backlash and political dustups to a lingering conversation of how to portray the tale's dwarfs in 2025, here's a timeline detailing the Snow White live-action remake's controversies.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
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Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The power to classify or declassify lies in the hands of top federal officials, including the president and Cabinet secretaries.—
David Klepper,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
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Approaching her parents now means exposing her lies, which could trigger a range of harsh reactions.—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Absurd parables like this one have been taken seriously by some of the loudest voices in Silicon Valley, many of whom are now warning that AI is an existential risk, more dangerous than nuclear weapons.—
Bryan Walsh,
Vox,
5 Mar. 2025
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Jameson seeks accounts of its daily life instead of parables of repression, and finds them in long novels by Günter Grass and Uwe Tellkamp.—
Mark Greif,
Harper's Magazine,
26 July 2024
Noun
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Haiden is the son of famous motocross star and X Games legend Brian Deegan, 50.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
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Archaeologists and historians have unearthed ancient myths and legends that speak of olive trees as sacred spaces, inspiring countless studies and debates on the true age and significance of Vouves.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This all reads like an exciting piece of fiction involving a legendary object, hidden away and guarded by strange forces.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Beguiling blends of fiction and nonfiction are the highlights of this year’s edition of the New Directors/New Films series, at Film at Lincoln Center and MOMA, April 2-13.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Sponsors have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2025
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His first-person stories include supersonic rides in seven separate aircraft pulling up to 9 Gs and flying to 84,000 feet; driving a Bugatti at 253 mph and Indy cars at 200 mph; expeditions to the North and South Poles; summiting the Matterhorn and 23,000-ft.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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