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Synonyms
Examples of old wives' tale in a Sentence
Frogs won't give you warts. That's just an old wives' tale.
the old wives' tale about the full moon causing people to act crazy
Recent Examples on the Web
An old wives' tale says heartburn during pregnancy means your unborn baby has a full head of hair, but many parents with bald babies would strongly disagree.
—Tiffany Eve Lawrence, Parents, 3 May 2024
That's why there's no shortage of old wives' tales surrounding the induction of labor—and no end to parents-to-be looking for signs that their little one will arrive soon.
—Melissa Mills, Parents, 19 Dec. 2023
The idea that breast milk is a cure-all might seem like an old wives' tale, but there's scientific research behind the results Williams is seeing: fresh breast milk has been proven to help with atopic eczema, diaper rash, and a collection of other maladies.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 6 Dec. 2023
For centuries, women have relied on this old wives' tale to get shiny, irresistibly touchable hair.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 17 June 2013
According to old wives' tales, these pregnancy symptoms may suggest your baby will be assigned male at birth.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 25 July 2023
Well, the Germans like a touch of oversteer, and that's no old wives' tale.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 Mar. 2023
An old wives' tale that keeping raw, unpeeled onions out will keep your family safe from illnesses such as the flu is making the rounds on Facebook.
—Katie Landeck, USA TODAY, 16 June 2020
The myth, which is partly based on an old wives' tale that claims that every year on the vernal and autumnal equinox, eggs are able to balance on their ends, appears to have surfaced annually since at least 2012.
—NBC News, 11 Feb. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'old wives' tale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1572, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near old wives' tale
Cite this Entry
“Old wives' tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old%20wives%27%20tale. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
old wives' tale
noun
: a belief that is not based on fact : superstition
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