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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of tale
In the same vein as the 1960 television show the Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Netflix’s new anthology series tells tales of horror, often featuring great creature design, hosted by the master of creatures himself, Guillermo del Toro.
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Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
What’s lost is the heat and swashbuckling adventure of the original tale, a humanist turn that finds Odysseus at the end of his mortal coil, Fiennes at first haggard, awash naked on the shores of Ithaca after a shipwreck has left him unmoored and divorced from his former kingdom.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
In my book, the catalogue of tales that spring from Thanksgiving easily rival those of Christmas.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 27 Nov. 2024
The Memory Palace by Nate DiMeo (Random House: $33) A collection of offbeat tales from American history.
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Paperback fiction
1.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tale 
Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
What’s lost is the heat and swashbuckling adventure of the original tale, a humanist turn that finds Odysseus at the end of his mortal coil, Fiennes at first haggard, awash naked on the shores of Ithaca after a shipwreck has left him unmoored and divorced from his former kingdom.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
In my book, the catalogue of tales that spring from Thanksgiving easily rival those of Christmas.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 27 Nov. 2024
The Memory Palace by Nate DiMeo (Random House: $33) A collection of offbeat tales from American history.
…
Paperback fiction
1.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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Maybe even more than surprise story of the year Indiana, Arizona State looks interesting in the Playoff given its offensive weaponry.The Athletic College Football, The Athletic, 8 Dec. 2024
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Finally, the true beauty of digital lies in its measurability.Aman Gupta, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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After all the lies and posturing my neighbor gave, the FA didn’t relocate them to their seat.Ashley J. DiMella Fox News, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Burroughs, the author of the novella the film is based on, had a similar encounter with his second wife, writer Joan Vollmer.Barry Levitt, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
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Otherwise, the film is remarkably faithful to Charles Dickens’ original novella, preserving the gothic elements and darker themes without too much sentimentality.Janey Tracey, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Penny, a 26-year-old former Marine, now faces just one count of criminally negligent homicide in Neely’s death last year.Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
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Ben Berkowitz, Avery Lotz Updated 10 mins ago - Business Luigi Mangione charged in PA for crimes unrelated to UnitedHealthcare CEO's death Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested in Pennsylvania Monday and charged with five counts unrelated to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.Dan Primack, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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With a fan balanced behind each ear, the device operates at the level of a whisper (30 decibels), and its battery can last for 17 hours, or the equivalent of two workdays.Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024
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Neutral and clean with just a whisper of grain and pepper to enliven the palate.Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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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, EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
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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
Noun
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In France launches atop the tally, earning the guitar player his milestone tenth champion on the genre-specific list.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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That’s above the historical average of 15.3 saugers per net and the 2023 tally of 17.5 saugers per net.Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The chart below shows that EI scores quickly decline after middle management as the job titles rise.Tony Gambill, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
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The familiar choir-like score, composed by Stephen Gallagher (a music editor on Jackson’s films), may well send chills down your spine.Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tale
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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