1
2
a
: a series of events or facts told or presented : account
b(1)
: a report of a private or confidential matter
dead men tell no tales
(2)
: a libelous report or piece of gossip
Examples of tale in a Sentence
The movie is a stirring tale of courage.
We listened to his familiar tale of woe as he talked again about the failure of his marriage.
He told us thrilling tales about his adventures as a pilot in the war.
Are you telling tales again? Or is that the truth?
Recent Examples on the Web
Not long ago, Mallaby recommended to us a few of the best books about such tales.
—
The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2025
The confusion surrounding Holmes stands as a cautionary tale about the manipulation of copyright law—not by opportunists exploiting a valuable piece of intellectual property, but by the character’s official custodians.
—Alec Nevala-Lee, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
What to learn from high-profile estate mistakes High-profile disputes serve as powerful cautionary tales, even for those of us outside the spotlight.
—Lawrence D. Sprung, Founder/wealth Advisor At Mitlin Financial, Inc., CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
The tale of that match has been told a few times in the quarter-century since.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tale 
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.
The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2025
The confusion surrounding Holmes stands as a cautionary tale about the manipulation of copyright law—not by opportunists exploiting a valuable piece of intellectual property, but by the character’s official custodians.
—Alec Nevala-Lee, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
What to learn from high-profile estate mistakes High-profile disputes serve as powerful cautionary tales, even for those of us outside the spotlight.
—Lawrence D. Sprung, Founder/wealth Advisor At Mitlin Financial, Inc., CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
The tale of that match has been told a few times in the quarter-century since.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tale
Dictionary Entries Near tale
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tale. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share