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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tale
However, many oral histories passed down in indigenous groups in Canada and the U.S. have contradicted this idea, suggesting that smaller groups made the journey over different periods of time and their ancestors told the tales of a great crossing, VOA News reports.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2025
Bar-Kar tells this tale of love, loss, and life-altering lyricism with the same tenderness of Ian’s songwriting.
—Audra Heinrichs, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
Harvey Frommer, a sports historian and reporter, puts the tale of that momentous game together using oral history, gathered from hundreds of interviews with players, coaches, media and spectators alike.
—Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 9 Feb. 2025
In the hands of the endlessly inventive comedian, the tale of a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and seeks out fame and fortune becomes a madcap delight complete with a zingy script, cartoonish punch-ups, collapsing sets, and a heady dose of magical realism.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tale 
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2025
Bar-Kar tells this tale of love, loss, and life-altering lyricism with the same tenderness of Ian’s songwriting.
—Audra Heinrichs, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
Harvey Frommer, a sports historian and reporter, puts the tale of that momentous game together using oral history, gathered from hundreds of interviews with players, coaches, media and spectators alike.
—Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 9 Feb. 2025
In the hands of the endlessly inventive comedian, the tale of a boy who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and seeks out fame and fortune becomes a madcap delight complete with a zingy script, cartoonish punch-ups, collapsing sets, and a heady dose of magical realism.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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This story was originally published in July 2019, and was update don February 11, 2025, to include current information.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
AFAR Media,
11 Feb. 2025
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This story was originally published February 9, 2025 at 8:21 PM.—
Chadd Cripe,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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After being exposed as a fraud, Gibson attempted to wipe all traces of her lies from the internet.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
8 Feb. 2025
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In addition, one out-of-town entity has expressed interest in purchasing the entire golf course, but that offer lies outside the committee’s purview.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In his extensive career, King has published 65 novels and novellas, and also expanded into crime, sci-fi, fantasy and mystery genres.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
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Ali Hazelwood books in order Hazelwood has published standalone romance novels, novellas and even audio-only stories.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The rapper was later arrested and charged with two counts of felony assault and is facing up to 24 years in prison if convicted.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
11 Feb. 2025
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The Madigan jurors are approaching the length of deliberations in the 2011 retrial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, which ended in a conviction on almost all counts after more than 10 days of discussions.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Nas’ rising crescendo of hope versus Kendrick’s whispers erupts into roars of cultural resentment as shown through the skits performed last night.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 Feb. 2025
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When powerful people enter the story, the whisper turns into heart-wrenching screams.—
Lynne Silva-Breen,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The bad news is that the same level of attention and care does not appear to have been extended to the story or the characters, which is lethal for something that’s supposed to be a modern-day fable.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
26 Jan. 2025
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All this recalls the fable of the boy who cried wolf once too often.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The incident was the 26th mass shooting in the US so far this year, according to a tally by the Gun Violence Archive and CNN.—
Hanna Park, Lauren Mascarenhas and Eric Levenson,
CNN,
6 Feb. 2025
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Here’s the tally for the Orlando region, county by county.—
Ron Hurtibise,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Take a look at what's happening to the nation's reading and math scores — and what schools can do about it.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
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The only member of the cast or crew to be nominated at any of the major awards shows that year was Hans Zimmer, whose score lost at the Critics Choice Awards, Emmys, and Grammys.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tale
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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