1
as in story
a relating of events usually in the order in which they happened
wrote a witty, chatty narrative of all the happenings at the party
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2
as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
in such narratives as "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter," Edgar Allan Poe essentially created the modern detective story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of narrative
If Barkley can stay healthy, the NFL’s narrative for these next few years has a strong chance to be rewritten.
—
Sean Gregory, TIME, 10 Feb. 2025
With the Kansas City Chiefs playing in the biggest NFL game of the year—and going on to lose against the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22, a lot of the narrative about the game was about the players involved.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 10 Feb. 2025
Kevin Hassett Ashley Stringer | CNBC The dueling narratives come amid escalating legal battles over access to the Treasury Department’s highly sensitive payment systems, which members of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team have sought and been granted.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2025
The kind of profile that Ross pioneered, and that gave such an impetus to the New Journalism—a genuinely great episode in American letters, breaching boundaries between reporting and narrative that should never have existed—has become something of an endangered species.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for narrative 
Sean Gregory, TIME, 10 Feb. 2025
With the Kansas City Chiefs playing in the biggest NFL game of the year—and going on to lose against the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22, a lot of the narrative about the game was about the players involved.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 10 Feb. 2025
Kevin Hassett Ashley Stringer | CNBC The dueling narratives come amid escalating legal battles over access to the Treasury Department’s highly sensitive payment systems, which members of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team have sought and been granted.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2025
The kind of profile that Ross pioneered, and that gave such an impetus to the New Journalism—a genuinely great episode in American letters, breaching boundaries between reporting and narrative that should never have existed—has become something of an endangered species.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for narrative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrative
Noun
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Her story is a testament to perseverance and unconditional love, reminding us that nothing is impossible.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2025
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This story was originally published February 9, 2025 at 8:21 PM.—
Chadd Cripe,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And, in Washington, the 2004 tale of love and short-term memory loss took the crown.—
Melissa Santos,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
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In this intricately improvised whatsit, Indonesian immigrants Asri and Hasan convene every day at twilight hour, in the heart of Taiwan’s oldest city, to share the day’s news and experiences, spinning second-hand tales of migrant struggle into rhapsodically spontaneous verse.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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French media chronology remains a hot button topic as global streamers have shaken up the landscape since their entry into the country.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
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The archive will also include artifacts, a chronology of Indigenous enslavement and oral histories collected from descendants like Leyva.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In his extensive career, King has published 65 novels and novellas, and also expanded into crime, sci-fi, fantasy and mystery genres.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
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Ali Hazelwood books in order Hazelwood has published standalone romance novels, novellas and even audio-only stories.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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According to Weinstein's lawsuit, the film producer's brother and business partners had a history of misusing company funds, including the 2016 loan from AI International.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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For the first time in its more than 50-year history, Southwest Airlines is facing significant layoffs.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Clearly the fans were not taken into account when planning this event.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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Atletico’s social media accounts also published a set of messages poking fun at the whole storm ahead of Saturday’s game.—
Dermot Corrigan,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Just in time for Valentines Day, the sensual song was released Thursday with a music video that includes narration from Puerto Rican singer Lenny Tavárez.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2025
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Jason Carter, the grandson of late President Jimmy Carter, reflects on his grandfather’s posthumous win for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording for his Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Lakers are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, with a record of 32-20 for the year.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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Pivetta, conversely, has a remarkably clean medical record for a veteran pitcher.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near narrative
Cite this Entry
“Narrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrative. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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