1
as in story
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature
don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid
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2
as in anecdote
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally
asked Dad to tell once again the tale of how, as a kid, he broke his arm jumping out of a tree
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3
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
told tall tales in an attempt to impress me with her supposedly upper-crust background
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in novella
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tale
As always, verisimilitude and the supernatural exist side by side in this tale of the denizens of a boardinghouse in Pittsburgh.
—
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 15 May 2026
Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semi-autobiographical Little House books offers a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
Gadd wrote the first episode back in 2019, shelving the tale of two brothers with a dysfunctional bond for four years.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
The film plays out like a tale where too much has been relegated to the margins and left between the cuts, where the performances shine but their emotional foundations have been laid in reverse.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 15 May 2026
Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semi-autobiographical Little House books offers a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
Gadd wrote the first episode back in 2019, shelving the tale of two brothers with a dysfunctional bond for four years.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
The film plays out like a tale where too much has been relegated to the margins and left between the cuts, where the performances shine but their emotional foundations have been laid in reverse.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
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Eggs, sushi, and crypto The account paid attention to smaller stories, too.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Noun
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There, a mad, out-of-control Mary lives on as tenaciously as George Washington’s inability to tell a lie.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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As their lies unravel, Nora and Jack try to outsmart one another.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Can wrote her first novella, Yellow Mud Street (1987), at her sewing machine in between taking care of customers.—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
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Kent has also written the screenplay which is adapted from a 1973 science fiction novella by American writer James Tiptree, Jr (real name Alice B Sheldon).—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Bryce was still throwing the ball well, pitch count was still OK.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
17 May 2026
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McCray was indicted for manslaughter and principal to felony hazing, and Thurman was indicted for principal to felony hazing and three counts of obstruction of justice.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Noun
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In a world where most conversations take the form of cautious whispers, information degrades quickly.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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With a whisper of mineral notes, Ford’s was a bracingly hefty gin with impressive structure.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Her fable depicts twin sisters on a revenge road trip, setting out to right the wrongs of their early childhood at the behest of their estranged mother, finding some catharsis along the way.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
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The Family Stone actress penned her 2017 book about her masterpiece, writing that the inspiration behind her design stemmed from the children's fable, The Three Little Pigs.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Noun
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To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2026
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Carlsson and Terry did combine to assist on Granlund’s power-play tally on Thursday, but the effectiveness of Anaheim’s top line waned as the series went on.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Among all critics, the Rotten Tomatoes score is a mediocre 60%, but these are critics who are often highly incentivized to celebrate major studio releases and increase their access.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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Some networks, such as ESPN, have integrated betting odds into news tickers that report live scores.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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