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
Last spring, when Alex Garland’s Civil War premiered, the evocative images of a country irreparably divided felt like a cautionary, if still somewhat distant, tale.
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Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2024
The feature follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making one big mistake, according to the official synopsis.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024
Burton’s big-screen adaptation of the classic Washington Irving’s tale—which was released in theaters on November 17, 1999—celebrated the 25th anniversary of its release on Sunday.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Co-created by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, Landman is set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas and is a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tale 
Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2024
The feature follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making one big mistake, according to the official synopsis.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024
Burton’s big-screen adaptation of the classic Washington Irving’s tale—which was released in theaters on November 17, 1999—celebrated the 25th anniversary of its release on Sunday.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Co-created by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, Landman is set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas and is a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
Noun
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One lesson for kindergartners about the Golden Rule, for example, centers on how Jesus taught the rule during his Sermon on the Mount, along with a story from the Jewish Torah.Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024
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Email her with story tips at hayleigh.evans@arizonarepublic.com.Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Blocks of alabaster, limestone, granite and marble lie about in the brown grass.Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 19 Nov. 2024
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The site was for sale after Jones lost a $1.4 billion defamation suit against the families of children killed in the Sandy Hook massacre — which Jones continually spread lies about — forcing him into bankruptcy.Justin Curto, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In Queer’s final act, the film’s romance concludes in a manner that avoids betraying the premise, taking the audience on an ayahuasca journey, and providing a fitting tribute to the novella’s complex author.Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Nov. 2024
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The character made its debut in Wells’ 2017 novella, All Systems Red.Meghan Herbst, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
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While sentencing is yet to be determined, Asbury faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for each count.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
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These included conspiracy theories alleging that the Minister for Justice had sent citizenship documents and promised passports to asylum seekers in exchange for votes, as well as claims of election rigging at polling stations and count centers.Emma Woollacott, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In a glancing sense, for me, there are whispers of the Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman musical Follies in The Last Showgirl.Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Nov. 2024
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The Kimberley is a truly wild place, where human history is merely a whisper over millennia.Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 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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Another tally from Maricopa County helped Kari Lake again in her race against Ruben Gallego, but the biggest GOP-leaning batches may be running out.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 21 Nov. 2024
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His tally could increase as more votes are counted.Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The brilliant pink roseate spoonbills and scores of other birds at Orlando Wetlands park.Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2024
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Ilona and Alan tied with Danny and Witney with their initial score of 27.Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tale
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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