as in lies
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
did you really see a bear, or are you telling us another one of your fairy tales?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fairy tales
Andersen had sent Dickens a copy of his fairy tales translated into English, and Dickens neglected to show the children.
—
Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Zipes, an accomplished scholar of fairy tales, explores the genre’s enduring appeal and its social functions in this erudite essay collection.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
The theater is known for goofy, campy, original musical theater shows that riotously riff on fairy tales, folklore, TV shows and other familiar cultural tropes.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2026
Like all fairy tales, the love story between Dua Lipa and Callum Turner has reached its happy ending.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 7 June 2026
Because fairy tales, historically, have predominantly been women’s stories, told by women to women.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
From Hollywood to Shakespeare to fairy tales, these patterns are hiding in plain sight.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
The fantasy comedy twisted the types of fairy tales that Disney was known for with cruder and sillier humor and centered a grumpy ogre journeying to save a princess.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Most fairy tales start with a damsel in distress, but this one began with a late-night endless scroll during peak COVID.
—Camille Okhio, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Zipes, an accomplished scholar of fairy tales, explores the genre’s enduring appeal and its social functions in this erudite essay collection.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
The theater is known for goofy, campy, original musical theater shows that riotously riff on fairy tales, folklore, TV shows and other familiar cultural tropes.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2026
Like all fairy tales, the love story between Dua Lipa and Callum Turner has reached its happy ending.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 7 June 2026
Because fairy tales, historically, have predominantly been women’s stories, told by women to women.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
From Hollywood to Shakespeare to fairy tales, these patterns are hiding in plain sight.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
The fantasy comedy twisted the types of fairy tales that Disney was known for with cruder and sillier humor and centered a grumpy ogre journeying to save a princess.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Most fairy tales start with a damsel in distress, but this one began with a late-night endless scroll during peak COVID.
—Camille Okhio, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fairy tales
Noun
-
However, what seemed like the perfect life was really a complex house of cards built on lies and insanity.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
For his potential successor, Republicans are left to choose between an outright election denier, Vernon Jones, and a state lawmaker, Tim Fleming, who avoids explicitly disputing the president’s 2020 election lies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The first book was published the same year as Serial debuted, kicking off our burgeoning obsession with true crime and our tendency to romanticize the male perpetrators while often homogenizing their overwhelmingly female victims into cautionary tales.—
Scarlett Harris,
Time,
11 June 2026
-
Set in Mexico in the late 1800s, the story centers on Francisca, a gifted writer of dark tales and fantastical characters.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
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,
10 Dec. 2025
-
The streamer, owned by Reliance Industries and backed by Disney, will introduce regional-first formats, and new stories and creative voices, while develoing writing labs, mentorship programs and skill-building workshops.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fairy tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fairy%20tales. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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