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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fables
That Niall finds Ruben so alluring is natural to Gadd, who believes the notion of a valiant male figure has been bred into everyone via fables and fairy tales.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
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
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
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
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
-
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
-
The myths of Gollum and Frankenstein are obviously massively influential in the narrative structure people are imposing on this.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
Like so many historical myths, this swashbuckling tale of pirates, court accusations, and gossip, which frames the rags-to-riches emergence of this American family, is rife with historical fiction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Because either McCluskie is one heck of a con man who rolled both Becerra and Williamson, making both believe what was happening was kosher with entirely different tales, or someone isn’t being entirely honest.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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But even Black athletes whose athleticism gifted them an extremely exclusive express lane in life can tell you stories about growing up a minority in America, or tales their parents or grandparents have told.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Forced to confront this web of lies, Kanan faced an existential crisis of self-discovery and emerged stronger and more resolute than ever.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
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Djena stood silently nearby while Denise spoke, suppressing the urge to contradict Denise’s lies.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Jesus, who speaks in parables, not in dicta or dogmas, provides us with a primary instance of the power of the nonliteral tale.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
On Sundays, O’Neal’s father preached hope from the pulpit, stories of his family intertwined with morals and truths and parables.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Shi spoke of the need to sign players determined to become Wolves legends.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Walter Scott owner and winemaker Ken Pahlow originally bought Koosah grapes from Oregon wine legends Kevin and Carla Chambers, who planted both Résonance and Koosah vineyards before selling them to Louis Jadot, which kept the name Résonance for its Willamette Valley venture.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The curiosity, sensitivity, and imagination of children will always demand new and ambitious fictions.—
Mac Barnett,
Longreads,
5 May 2026
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Fascism spins the greatest fictions of all time—about race, about origins, about past and future glories—and people eat them up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Superhero stories are copaganda; sitcoms sell middle-class norms.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fables. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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