old wives' tale

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of old wives' tale 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old wives' tale
Noun
  • Unlike previous quantum attempts plagued by instability, Majorana 1 uses a new class of qubits resistant to errors, making scalable quantum computing a reality.
    Sarah Choudhary, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Baker expressed skepticism about the poll, questioning the reliability due to the small sample size and margin of error.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The lone creator is a myth that goes back a long time in art history.
    Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Wielding Excalibur, the sword of myth, Gawain grows more powerful as the sun rises, reaching peak strength at midday.
    Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • That would be you, the audience, fed a royal jelly concocted of dream, fantasy, myth, popcorn, even delusion.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Many of these protagonists endure the tedium and humiliation of involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations, losing days and years to paralyzing inertia, and experiencing terrifying delusions of persecution and betrayal.
    Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Yet there are filmmakers who fall prey to the illusion too.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
  • On far too many occasions, Watson chose deceit over candor, grasping for the illusion of business success and personal acclaim at any cost.
    Peter White, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Old wives' tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20wives%27%20tale. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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