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
Usually its first response was a fable, set among animals or in the indeterminate past of fantasy fiction.
—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
The novel has a freewheeling spirit that recalls Italo Calvino’s space fables in Cosmicomics.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The collection spans centuries of storytelling in multiple genres, from migratory fairytales with kings and princesses to legends of ghosts and the Devil to fables with talking animals.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
The title refers to a story-fable about a horse that runs away, only to turn up at a time of crisis.
—
Hillel Italie,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
The novel has a freewheeling spirit that recalls Italo Calvino’s space fables in Cosmicomics.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The collection spans centuries of storytelling in multiple genres, from migratory fairytales with kings and princesses to legends of ghosts and the Devil to fables with talking animals.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
The title refers to a story-fable about a horse that runs away, only to turn up at a time of crisis.
—
Hillel Italie,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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It can be read as a direct allegory for conversion therapy and for other ways that homophobia can alter behavior and cause lasting psychological and emotional damage.
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Hawthorne’s tale is not just an allegory of the Revolution.
Noun
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Despite numerous myths, a cat's fur color does not impact its personality traits.
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This is myth, and fisheries biologists know that pike do feed during the hot months just as other fish do.
Noun
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In the hands of Gillespie — whose specialty is edgy female-empowerment tales like the Oscar-winning I, Tonya and Cruella as well as the Emmy-winning Hulu series Pam & Tommy — how could the new Supergirl go wrong?
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The final score doesn't tell the tale of this game.
Noun
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The plane also includes a spacious press cabin, according to a pool reporter onboard, with lie-flat seats that feature a massage function and individual TV screens.
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The press cabin contains 14 lie-flat pods, including large tan leather seats with luxury features such as lumbar supports and massage functions.
Noun
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Apparently all mothers, even surrogate mothers, were alike, but at least Adele no longer had to fear monitory parables from her real mother.
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The desire to find these kinds of positive parables was largely driven by the fact that Malone is the mother of a young boy.
Noun
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The legends surrounding the team can, at times, become muddled.
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There are legends of ghost sightings and spooky happenings on the dirt road, like the woman who reportedly wanders it in the dark, crying out for her children.
Noun
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Weir takes readers on an adventure through this science-fiction survival story about a junior high science teacher who wakes up aboard a spaceship with amnesia.
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Crisis and renewal are strictly a matter of marketing now, a fiction that permanently assigns the Democrats the role of technocrats managing national decline while Republicans get to stand for muscular optimism and economic expansion.
Noun
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This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Gil was trapped beneath more than 100 tons of rubble after the partial collapse of the Galerias Playa Grande commercial center, which includes buildings nine and four stories tall.
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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