Definition of apologuenext
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life the film is an apologue of sorts, but the message is couched in a zany and action-filled plot

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apologue
Noun
  • Making art is the axis of every lyric here, and his catalogs incline also to allegory.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Coogler's Jim Crow-era film -- the rare horror movie to win the academy's favor -- conjures a mythical allegory of Black life.
    JAKE COYLE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Plato’s prescient understanding of ICE agents arose during a discussion of the parable of the Ring of Gyges.
    Paul Rosenzweig, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Faustian parables unlock more interesting connotations when considered not in terms of politics, but of art.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This poetic, interactive solo-theater piece blends fable and modern-day storytelling.
    Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The Grand Prix winner of last year’s Cannes Critics Week, filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s snaky, surprising fable starts with a sneeze and explodes into a saga about bureaucracy, modernization and moral corruption.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The film vaguely follows the basic outline of the first half of the novel, heavily streamlining the twisted tale of family strife and generational trauma into a more conventional tragic romance centered squarely on Catherine and Heathcliff.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The least satisfying tales involve a group of reasonable counterparties teaming up against a single aggressor, like an Indiana man who’s turned his grandmother’s house into an unauthorized urban farm.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
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.

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“Apologue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apologue. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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