Definition of storynext
1
as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel he's a talented writer, but his quirky stories will never find a wide readership

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2
as in anecdote
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally Grandpa is always telling stories about what it was like growing up on a farm

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3
4
5
as in whisper
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature stories going around that the old man had died with thousands of dollars hidden under his mattress

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6
7
as in plot
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work the story proceeds at a pace that many readers will find a bit too leisurely

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8
as in situation
position with regard to conditions and circumstances management is trying to figure out what the story is with the accident down in the warehouse

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of story There were other stories that bothered him more, like a post by a writer who recounted a chaste one-night stand with Tea Party activist and Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell that described her pubic hair. Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026 At a time when the images and stories of migrants and migration in the United States portray a crisis, Cadet’s works present a poignant, intimate counterweight. Elly Fishman, Vogue, 8 May 2026 Have a suggestion for a future story? Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026 Feeling your story becoming impersonal? Literary Hub, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story
Noun
  • That’s easier to accomplish the further the plot moves away from a diplomatic incident involving several national institutions and toward an occasionally absurd — but absorbing and well-paced — tale of individuals in over their heads.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 8 May 2026
  • San Diego County can once again be a model of fiscal responsibility — not a cautionary tale.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • Does that count as commentary on the current moment?
    Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
  • Along with a video introduction from actor and filmmaker Alex Winter, there will be a Q&A afterward with Patric moderated by critic and scholar Travis Woods, who contributed a commentary track to a recent Australian Blu-ray release of the film.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • These poppers start with the crisp, juicy snap of mini sweet peppers, which are filled with a creamy, tangy pimiento cheese spiked with smoky bacon and a whisper of black pepper.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
  • The early universe, a mere whisper after the Big Bang, just a few hundred million years old — that's when the first stars and galaxies were starting to flicker on, like fairy lights across a cosmic dark.
    Paul Sutter, Space.com, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
  • Yesteryear is narrated by a woman named Natalie Heller Mills, a Ballerina Farm facsimile who is pregnant with her sixth child at the beginning of the novel, and whose pixel-perfect online life as @YesteryearRanch is essentially all a lie.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • But talk of coups and plots doesn’t come from nowhere.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • The men were never accused of the actual assassination, but rather putting the plot together that led to the killing and did so here in South Florida.
    Tania Francois, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • Cleveland still has a lot of pressure to win Game 4 at home, and Detroit is still the clear favorite to advance, but facing a close finish in a must-win situation, Harden delivered.
    Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 May 2026
  • At the same time, Walmsley went on, situations like the one in Arcadia are forcing an industry-wide reckoning.
    Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • Arizona Department of Health Services officials did not immediately respond to requests for information.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 May 2026
  • The chair of the House Oversight Committee has sent a letter to OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman requesting information about potential conflicts of interest between Altman’s personal investments and his operation of the company.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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