folktale

Definition of folktalenext
as in tale
a traditional description of imaginary events circulated orally among a people West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling

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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 folktale The story centered on a young Palestinian man living in Jerusalem who must save his family after a Ghouleh, a female demon from his grandmother’s folktales, arrive in his town and threatens his home. Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025 Oliver Park’s directorial debut is based on the Jewish folktale about the female demon Abyzou, which (believe it or not) happens to be perfect fodder for a horror film set at a Hasidic funeral home in Brooklyn. Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025 Meanwhile, Freudians and evolutionary psychologists trawled folktales for evidence to shore up their theories. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 Later, the look became incorporated in folktales as the attire of grim reapers. Claire Wang, NBC news, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for folktale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folktale
Noun
  • The film vaguely follows the basic outline of the first half of the novel, heavily streamlining the twisted tale of family strife and generational trauma into a more conventional tragic romance centered squarely on Catherine and Heathcliff.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The least satisfying tales involve a group of reasonable counterparties teaming up against a single aggressor, like an Indiana man who’s turned his grandmother’s house into an unauthorized urban farm.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS BOLD PREDICTION – Cowboys legend makes stunning Super Bowl guarantee after dinner with coach.
    , FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The opportunity wasn’t lost on Shula, the rock-solid legend who sat afterward at his locker, openly crying, in a manner that stunned Dolphins personnel.
    Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Besides the deceased, who appears more as a spectre in pictures, letters and memories, the men in this story take a back seat, with three generations of women at the center of the narrative.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Find this story at Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
    Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The chief human resources officer at $76 billion giant Colgate-Palmolive, Sally Massey, dispelled the myths that Gen Z only brings high standards and chaos to the workplace.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Like the tricksters of myth, there’s depth to their slyness.
    Big Think, Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Stonewall Monument is the only site within the national park system dedicated to LGBTQ+ history, which makes its preservation all the more meaningful to activists and historians.
    Michael Collins, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Maegan Ortiz, executive director of the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California, or IDEPSCA, cited the LAPD’s history of using excessive force against civilians and said that in the recent immigration raids, officers have sometimes inflamed instead of defused tensions.
    Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The film vaguely follows the basic outline of the first half of the novel, heavily streamlining the twisted tale of family strife and generational trauma into a more conventional tragic romance centered squarely on Catherine and Heathcliff.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Alongside the continued dominance of genre packages, such as horror, action and thrillers, more films about relationships and romance have hit the market, hoping to make buyers’ hearts (and budgets) flutter.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folktale. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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