1
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
this classic Christmas film is essentially a fable showing how every person's life has meaning and touches the lives of others
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2
as in myth
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature
according to an ancient fable the waters of the mountain spring are the tears of a woman weeping for her lost children
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3
as in tale
something that is the product of the imagination
the stories of lost cities of gold may have been fables deliberately concocted by Native Americans to dupe the Spanish
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4
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
the fables that people tell themselves to rationalize their failures and shortcomings
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Recent Examples of fable
Characters in most fables do not have legs, let alone race.
—
Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Such shots reproduce García Márquez’s knack for wedding the ordinary to the extraordinary, and turning prosaic developments into enduring fables.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Love Actually director Richard Curtis admits the 'stalker scene' is 'a bit weird'
07 of 20
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
A Willy Wonka-esque inventor brings magical toys to life in this exuberant Victorian steampunk fable.
—EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
That exuberant levity has clearly been calculated as a counterweight to the subject, which is explicitly a feminist fable and could so easily have felt didactic.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fable 
Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Such shots reproduce García Márquez’s knack for wedding the ordinary to the extraordinary, and turning prosaic developments into enduring fables.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Love Actually director Richard Curtis admits the 'stalker scene' is 'a bit weird'
07 of 20
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
A Willy Wonka-esque inventor brings magical toys to life in this exuberant Victorian steampunk fable.
—EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
That exuberant levity has clearly been calculated as a counterweight to the subject, which is explicitly a feminist fable and could so easily have felt didactic.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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In the comment section for the film, on YouTube (where it has been watched by more than nine million people), someone noted the obvious allegory: a quesito without cheese; a Puerto Rico without Puerto Ricans.Graciela Mochkofsky, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2025
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From the onset of Schauffele’s relationship with golf, motivational allegories and philosophical adages were fed into his psyche.Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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While this myth has been debunked by experts, professionals still advise against going to bed without drying your hair for a plethora of reasons.Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
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Comprised of interviews with landlords, homeowners, real estate investors, and city officials, this book dispels the myths around the narratives that paint these Detroit homeowners as irresponsible.Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Not long ago, Mallaby recommended to us a few of the best books about such tales.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2025
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The confusion surrounding Holmes stands as a cautionary tale about the manipulation of copyright law—not by opportunists exploiting a valuable piece of intellectual property, but by the character’s official custodians.Alec Nevala-Lee, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Former Fox Broadcasting executive Preston Padden and other activists argued that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, the father and son who control Fox Corp, should be held accountable for Fox’s promotion of Trump’s lies about the 2020 election.Brian Stelter, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
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The fourth sought to block Fox Corp.'s local TV division's renewal of the license for its Philadelphia station over corporate sibling Fox News's promotion of lies about fraud in the 2020 elections.David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The old transmissibility of truth presented in holy doctrine, tradition, parables, had decayed into near silence.Joy Williams, Harper's Magazine, 2 May 2024
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Elegant and spare, this is an environmental parable that doesn’t hammer away at its message.Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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As Palisades Fire Expands East Apple Brings Back iPhone 15 Pro For First Time—At Lower Price The backdrop here is NFL legend Tom Brady seemingly taking on a large role in the process after being appoved as a minority owner of the Silver and Black last year.Vincent Frank, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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Hong Kong martial arts legend Sammo Hung will serve as the jury president for the awards, which feature a selection of 30 films from 25 countries and regions, competing across 16 categories.Sara Merican, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The film, which stars Dern, Justin Theroux, and Jeremy Irons, is another meditation on Hollywood, blurring the lines between layers of fiction and dizzyingly captured with a digital camcorder.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
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This read will especially appeal to those who have an affinity for historical fiction authors like Vanessa Riley (Island Queen, Queen of Exiles), Piper Hughley (By Her Own Design, American Daughters), and Victoria Christopher Murray (The First Ladies, The Personal Librarian).Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This story was originally published January 6, 2025, 8:28 AM.Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2025
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This story was originally published January 5, 2025, 8:38 PM.Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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