as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
the parable in which the repentant sinner is compared to the returning prodigal son who is welcomed home
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Recent Examples of parable
Sufi saints used stories, parables and allegories to teach spiritual truths.
—
Sonya Rehman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
While Jesus may have used parables and the Apostle Paul used letters, Francis used social media to spread the Gospel.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
Entire chapters of the gospels are devoted to Jesus’s sermons, parables, and private conversations with His disciples.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 20 Apr. 2025
Netflix's sci-fi anthology series mines our modern age for thought-provoking (and often terrifying) parables.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parable
Sonya Rehman, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
While Jesus may have used parables and the Apostle Paul used letters, Francis used social media to spread the Gospel.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
Entire chapters of the gospels are devoted to Jesus’s sermons, parables, and private conversations with His disciples.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 20 Apr. 2025
Netflix's sci-fi anthology series mines our modern age for thought-provoking (and often terrifying) parables.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parable
Noun
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On a personal level, Moving’s allegory of superpowers as disability—cemented by disabled superhero Lee Jae-man (Kim Sung-kyun)—is an overdue approach to the genre.—
Geoffrey Bunting,
Time,
1 Aug. 2025
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The film is an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States, following two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
21 July 2025
Noun
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As three people with remote connections to a house try to solve two brutal murders, the story becomes increasingly complicated and implausible, evolving into a fable about a cursed family.—
Pat Tompkins,
AFAR Media,
18 June 2025
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The Mulan legend is widely recounted in Chinese literature and inspired a fictional character in two Walt Disney movies based on the Chinese fable.—
Stephanie Balkwill,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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The Coldplay public humiliation is a cautionary tale of atrophied American privacy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parable. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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