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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Recent Examples of folktale
Aladdin, a character from a Middle Eastern folktale, stumbles on an oil lamp that unleashes a powerful, larger-than-life genie who grants him three wishes.
—
Sonal Jain, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Look at rumors, gossip, metaphors, euphemisms, folktales—all the means by which subordinate groups disguise their opposition.
—Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Everyone in the studio nods along to Paco’s tough-minded flexes and mafioso folktales.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2025
Interspersed in the narrative, there are South Asian folktales about a jackal who is punished for pretending to be a king and a foolish man who puts all his eggs in a basket.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Sonal Jain, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Look at rumors, gossip, metaphors, euphemisms, folktales—all the means by which subordinate groups disguise their opposition.
—Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Everyone in the studio nods along to Paco’s tough-minded flexes and mafioso folktales.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2025
Interspersed in the narrative, there are South Asian folktales about a jackal who is punished for pretending to be a king and a foolish man who puts all his eggs in a basket.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folktale
Noun
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The Coldplay public humiliation is a cautionary tale of atrophied American privacy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
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That tale is just one of many in the story that don’t show Joel in an especially flattering light.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Rahaman Ali, younger brother to boxing legend Muhammad Ali, has died, according to the Muhammad Ali Center.—
Marina Johnson,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Aug. 2025
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The postseason was front and center before the game, as clips of franchise legend Jimmy Rollins from 2008 played before his Wall of Fame induction.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Little Dream's cake also featured some butterfly detailing, as seen on Khloé's story.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
29 July 2025
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His story hit just as Pastel QAnon — a softer, Instagram-friendly offshoot of the movement — was flourishing.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Reason 2: The Obsession with Control The second myth plaguing modern business is the assumption that complex systems can be controlled through tighter management processes.—
Tima Bansal,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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In my own writing, the process of myth making fascinates me.—
Irenosen Okojie
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Antonia Drew Norton, founder and executive director of Asha Family Services, said the child's homicide was directly tied to the family's history of domestic violence and abuse, as documented in public records.—
Ashley Luthern,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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Even Game of Thrones, arguably the most successful fantasy/genre series in Emmys history, can only credit 32 of its 164 Emmy nominations across eight seasons to acting categories (and eight of them were for Peter Dinklage).—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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The Percy Jackson star first sparked romance rumors in January 2020 but the couple didn't make their red carpet debut until August 2022 at the Bullet Train premiere.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
26 July 2025
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The unscripted series brings singles to a villa in Fiji and follows their budding friendships and romances through various twists and challenges.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folktale. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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