1
as in allegories
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in myths
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tales
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lies
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fables
Both fables and translations are forms of constrained writing.
—
Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The performance felt both virtuosic and repulsive, a goulash of hype, sloganeering, and calls to violence spiked with in-jokes, shaggy-dog anecdotes, and populist fables, all of it seductive and—in our dangerous era—familiar.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Animated family films have been a staple of entertainment culture for nearly a century and offer a rich catalog of adventures, fables, fairy tales and dramas.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Nurture the geese who lay the golden eggs One of Aesop’s most famous fables is the tale of the goose that laid a golden egg every day until its owner killed it in an attempt to get all the gold at once.
—Sally Percy, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Geminis have a tendency to speak of fables to protect themselves or to make their lives seem more fulfilling.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The performance felt both virtuosic and repulsive, a goulash of hype, sloganeering, and calls to violence spiked with in-jokes, shaggy-dog anecdotes, and populist fables, all of it seductive and—in our dangerous era—familiar.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Animated family films have been a staple of entertainment culture for nearly a century and offer a rich catalog of adventures, fables, fairy tales and dramas.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Nurture the geese who lay the golden eggs One of Aesop’s most famous fables is the tale of the goose that laid a golden egg every day until its owner killed it in an attempt to get all the gold at once.
—Sally Percy, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Geminis have a tendency to speak of fables to protect themselves or to make their lives seem more fulfilling.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fables
Noun
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But if these movies are progressive allegories of beings transcending their differences, then Hoppers is a surprisingly blunt pushback to that notion.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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Chandran’s reference to allegories suggests the adaptation is leaning into the arc’s political dimensions — the civil war, the manipulation of a nation by a Warlord of the Sea, and the cost of leadership.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Still, myths and misconceptions are persistent.—
Emily Maskell,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
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Ashland represents the culmination of a long journey exploring the magic of the American West and the myths that reside therein.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wessels catches gleams to follow not only in magical tales but in twinkling memories, sparkling wordplay, the films of silver-screen star Veronica Lake, and his charm of a daughter, the inspiration of a half-dozen poems that take their titles from spells.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Other folk tales trace them back to Noah's ark.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just as lies were used to justify our attack on Iraq over 20 years ago.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Below, according to a San Francisco Chronicle video, in bold white letters on the sand, demonstrators displayed another message saying no to ICE, wars, lies and kings.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Coogan was poking fun at tech companies’ impulse to name themselves after myths and parables, even when those myths and cultural artifacts have negative associations.—
Diego Lasarte,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
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Faustian parables unlock more interesting connotations when considered not in terms of politics, but of art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Big names like Amy Schumer as well as local legends and new up-and-coming talent perform here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Masters at Augusta National will feature the world's best golfers vying for the green jacket, something previous legends, including Jack Nicklaus, have done multiple times in their careers.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The fictions of both films are factually contextualized from the start.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Corporations are legal fictions — a game of pretend in which fictional entities are created, registering with the state.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Often, this is a useful guideline, and limits, in general, are very much the friend of the fiction writer, but there are certain stories that benefit from a sense of instability.—
Nina Mesfin,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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As is common in the policing profession, officers and supervisors sometimes share experiences and stories for a variety of reasons.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fables. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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