tell a different story
idiom
: to show that something different is true from what someone says is true
He said he wasn't at the scene of the crime, but the fingerprints tell a different story.
Examples of tell a different story in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The other November macroeconomic numbers tell a different story.
—
Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
But the Air Force’s files tell a different story.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 Dec. 2025
The Department of the Interior pinned its decision to cancel the grants — some of which had just recently been funded — on a misalignment of the agency’s priorities, but according to the 28-page lawsuit, government officials’ public statements tell a different story.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 26 Dec. 2025
Modern diet culture frames holiday eating as failure, but biology, history, and psychology tell a different story—one where feasting is not a lapse in discipline, but a deeply human ritual tied to survival, memory, and connection.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell a different story
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Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
But the Air Force’s files tell a different story.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 Dec. 2025
The Department of the Interior pinned its decision to cancel the grants — some of which had just recently been funded — on a misalignment of the agency’s priorities, but according to the 28-page lawsuit, government officials’ public statements tell a different story.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 26 Dec. 2025
Modern diet culture frames holiday eating as failure, but biology, history, and psychology tell a different story—one where feasting is not a lapse in discipline, but a deeply human ritual tied to survival, memory, and connection.
—Marisa McMillan, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tell a different story
Cite this Entry
“Tell a different story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tell%20a%20different%20story. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
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