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
Modern horror is at the forefront of political movements and are the fables of our time.
—
American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Featuring a score by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, the musical fable takes place in the fictional Cobb County, where its residents panic when their magical corn crops mysteriously start dying.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Her books occupy the borderlands of realism and fable, where the plausible brushes up against the impossible, and the laws of narrative logic are bent just enough to let in the surreal.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Cregger’s screenplay is one of the best of the year and brings to detailed life every one of these characters while addressing grief and group think, although none of these themes outweigh the thrust of his fable-like storytelling.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Featuring a score by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, the musical fable takes place in the fictional Cobb County, where its residents panic when their magical corn crops mysteriously start dying.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Her books occupy the borderlands of realism and fable, where the plausible brushes up against the impossible, and the laws of narrative logic are bent just enough to let in the surreal.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Cregger’s screenplay is one of the best of the year and brings to detailed life every one of these characters while addressing grief and group think, although none of these themes outweigh the thrust of his fable-like storytelling.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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Over the past 20 years of Black List darlings and Edgar Wright rip-offs, the American film industry has established a new archetype of cinema filled with quippy antiheroes, gory allegories for domestic strife, and character actors rattling off reference humor.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
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Her 2020 duo of albums, Folklore and Evermore, channeled the sound and sensibility of indie rock, refracting her perennial personal themes through a dark, blurry lens of fantasy and allegory.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Cortège Out on the cricket fields at The Los Angeles Equestrian Center, an experiential open-air event is bringing together dance, sound, light, puppetry, costume, myth, and robotic canines.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The myth of Chinese tunnels has circulated for more than a century.—
Beth Lew-Williams,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Arias weaves a lovely tale of unrequited love that isn’t as unrequited in this sapphic, slow-burn romance that also touches on weighty topics, including divorce and grief.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
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The tell-tale signs continued to add up.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Among the most persistent examples of those divisions are the lies and misinformation about elections that have spread for years through online social channels.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
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Troll farms, bots, and foreign actors manipulated social platforms to spread lies, sow division, and undermine democratic elections.—
Jeremy H. Gottschalk,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
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Based on the children’s book Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth and inspired heavily by Zen koans (short Zen Buddhist parables) the show takes a mindful approach to storytelling that’s quiet and engaging for kids and adults alike.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
31 July 2025
Noun
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To celebrate its big anniversary, a special event will be held in Miami, Florida, from January 29 - February 1, featuring none other than legends Sir Roger Daltrey and Simon Townshend, brother of Pete, both of The Who.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Boxers from all over the world have grown up dreaming of winning the belts that legends of the sport once had wrapped around their waists.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Although Harold is not literary fiction’s first obsessive ruminator, what makes Muscle Man feel so plugged into the moment is how common the predicament feels.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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The arrow sequence, though, has a connection to video gaming, recognizably originating in a game called Helldivers 2, a science-fiction narrative similar to Robert Heinlein’s book Starship Troopers that covers fascistic themes.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As a recent ProPublica story revealed, the promises of the H-2A visa program can be undermined by extreme abuses the workers suffer, mostly by labor contractors.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
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The dream drive package includes private transfer to The Barn, Napa Valley Car Club's exclusive clubhouse, post-drive drinks and stories and return transfer.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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