1
as in story
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
Relevance
2
as in anecdote
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 lie
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 novella
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tale
For as long as Hollywood has existed, there's been many a tale of personality clashes, unfortunate events and filmmaking shenanigans.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Shepard’s psychological tale of estranged brothers Lee and Austin and of typewriters, toasters and telephone cords, has lost none of its explosiveness over the years.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
This bizarre tale is made more disorienting because her parents were exceedingly naïve, to the point of complicity.
—Maya Salam, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tale
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Shepard’s psychological tale of estranged brothers Lee and Austin and of typewriters, toasters and telephone cords, has lost none of its explosiveness over the years.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
This bizarre tale is made more disorienting because her parents were exceedingly naïve, to the point of complicity.
—Maya Salam, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
-
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
-
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'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.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Weng promised to expedite her green card application under the EB-5 Program, but instead strung her along with lies for eight years federal prosecutors say.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The film was adapted from Annie Proulx’s novella by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The titular novella follows restless loggers who plan a wintertime dance, on the condition that some of them attend as women.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Carpenter could serve up to 10 years in prison with up to three years of supervised release, pay a maximum fine of $250,000 and a fee of $100 for each count, according to the plea agreement.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
-
In a very short time, the ad landscape was turned on its head, and in the process magazines wholly reliant on the sale of expensive ads shrank in terms of page count and relevance.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The genetic testing company that once held the vision of unlocking the secrets of our DNA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, its valuation whittled down to a whisper of its former $6 billion peak.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Related article High anxiety and whispers of a conclave: How the Vatican is dealing with Pope Francis’ hospitalization Alfieri, who led the team at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said the decision to continue with treatment was made by Francis’ nurse.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Bereft of chuckles or even a substantial story, this maudlin musical fable never escapes the drag of a lead character with supporting-player energy.—
Jeannette Catsoulis,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Many of our favorite stories, fables and rhymes came from the volumes of the set of Childcraft Books published in 1954 which accompany our family’s ages-old set of World Book Encyclopedias.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Since then, while tallies have fluctuated, the average has been around 180 clashes per day, an increase of about 30%.—
Andrew Carey and Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
-
That tally includes 13 points salvaged away from home, the most in the division, though there was no need for this at Leicester, who have not scored at the King Power since December 8.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
High school scores and top performers from Wednesday, April 2.—
Steve Gorches,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Edouard Julien tied the score with an RBI single and Jose Miranda gave the Twins the lead with a two-run bloop single to right with an exit velocity of 65.1 mph.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share