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
Relevance
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 fictions
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 tales
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
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.
Recent Examples of fables
Modern horror is at the forefront of political movements and are the fables of our time.
—
American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Allusions to myths, fables, and riffs on common idioms abound, many of them evocative and quite funny.
—Lora Kelley, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2025
American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Allusions to myths, fables, and riffs on common idioms abound, many of them evocative and quite funny.
—Lora Kelley, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fables
Noun
-
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
-
The Terror from Beyond Space served up slimy green men and Red Scare allegories, the period covered by Baron abounds with optimism and wonder.—
David Kamp,
Air Mail,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Partnerships like this help to dispel myths and skepticism surrounding LiDAR’s versatility.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Forget the old myths about dressing up or sweet-talking your way to the front.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
It is rooted in the dehumanizing language and convenient fictions that precede acts of violence.—
Brad Braxton,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Paranoia-inducing fictions like Wells’s aside, the public came to view Martians not as monsters but as representatives of a higher civilization—as angels, even, at a time when new science was shaking old religious certainties.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, Andor — raised by his mother with idealized tales of his dead father — has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Ledford is a songwriter to watch, spinning urgent, gripping tales of life’s ups and downs in the midst of a wildly colorful and psychedelic musical universe.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Throughout, in interviews with Costa, Malafaia justifies his political aspiration with Biblical parables.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With contributions across disciplines, the legends featured in the pages of WWD over the decades let their passion fuel innovation, shaping and evolving brand legacies and the industry to reflect the times while leaving an indelible mark.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The series will highlight the unbridled audacity of young men not just leveling up, but determined to become legends in the game.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Understanding the difference between easy stories and harder truths is important for younger people who want to navigate their way through early adult life.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Those stories are important for sure.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In an era of doubt, gaslighting, and lies, the choir needs preaching, too.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
-
And sure as hell, there Daniel is, having lunch with Laura, who has all but forgotten that, as the wise Lilith told her, all lies eventually come out; no matter who has told them, and no matter for what reason.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fables. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share