1
as in stories
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature
don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in anecdotes
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lies
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in novellas
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tales
Wessels catches gleams to follow not only in magical tales but in twinkling memories, sparkling wordplay, the films of silver-screen star Veronica Lake, and his charm of a daughter, the inspiration of a half-dozen poems that take their titles from spells.
—
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Other folk tales trace them back to Noah's ark.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Luc Besson, 129 minutes People can’t get enough of classic monsters lately with Lee Cronin’s upcoming The Mummy, last year’s Wolf Man, and multiple vampire tales, including Nosferatu and Radu Jude’s playful variation on Dracula.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Break out your finest suit and surveillance gear for these stylish espionage tales.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
In front of them were younger generations of mothers and daughters, who’ll tell their own Summit tales three or four decades from now.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Surfing has had a few great weavers of tales.
—Corky Carroll, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Her best songs are her witty tales of romantic espionage in London after dark.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Some of the essays are benign and well-documented; tales of her own neuroses, and her obsessions with the health of her father, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Other folk tales trace them back to Noah's ark.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Luc Besson, 129 minutes People can’t get enough of classic monsters lately with Lee Cronin’s upcoming The Mummy, last year’s Wolf Man, and multiple vampire tales, including Nosferatu and Radu Jude’s playful variation on Dracula.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Break out your finest suit and surveillance gear for these stylish espionage tales.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
In front of them were younger generations of mothers and daughters, who’ll tell their own Summit tales three or four decades from now.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Surfing has had a few great weavers of tales.
—Corky Carroll, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Her best songs are her witty tales of romantic espionage in London after dark.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Some of the essays are benign and well-documented; tales of her own neuroses, and her obsessions with the health of her father, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
Noun
-
For more than four decades, the Korean immigrant has worked at the shop near Travis Air Force Base, hearing countless stories of loss, sacrifice and heartbreak from military families and service members.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Paxton told stories about running for office for the first time and his 2023 impeachment.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just as lies were used to justify our attack on Iraq over 20 years ago.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Below, according to a San Francisco Chronicle video, in bold white letters on the sand, demonstrators displayed another message saying no to ICE, wars, lies and kings.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Stern has also published four collections of stories, four novellas, and two children’s books, all of them steeped in Jewish folklore.—
Cathleen Schine,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
-
For reading widely, there’s discovery to be had among novellas, which thanks to their short length can get away with being weird and different.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The same jury acquitted Lopez of more than a dozen other charges and hung on five counts of sending harmful material to a minor.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Census Bureau will collect exact population counts during the next official census in 2030, unless a community requests a special census before then.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Behind every trauma and calamity, whether personal or global, whispers of Jewish machination can be heard by those already listening for them.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In this extraordinary moment, we're reminded that wisdom often comes in the smallest whispers, and true courage lies in following where we're led with childlike trust.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Campbell shook hands and chatted it up with scores of familiar faces during the workout at Sac State, including Hornets athletic director Mark Orr.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
No Tarrant County restaurants were shut down as a result of the March 15-21 health inspections, but two establishments received low scores, according to data from the county compiled by the Star-Telegram.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On an individual level, Mikael Granlund, who powered the Ducks’ overtime win with a hat trick that accounted for all their scoring in Calgary, saw his four-game goal streak conclude with seven tallies on the same night McDavid extended his push to four contests (five goals).—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Up 2-0, Michigan extended its lead with second-period tallies from Nick Moldenhauer and Kason Muscutt.—
Barry Scanlon,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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