1
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
this classic Christmas film is essentially a fable showing how every person's life has meaning and touches the lives of others
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2
as in myth
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature
according to an ancient fable the waters of the mountain spring are the tears of a woman weeping for her lost children
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3
as in tale
something that is the product of the imagination
the stories of lost cities of gold may have been fables deliberately concocted by Native Americans to dupe the Spanish
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
the fables that people tell themselves to rationalize their failures and shortcomings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fable
The authors cited this year, each selected by a previous National Book Foundation honoree, write about the New York art world in the ’90s, the nauseating grip of social media, and the line between fable and fact in Hawaiian life.
—
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
Described as a political fable that combines elements of a crime thriller with epic tragedy, the plot of Minotaur sees a Russian corporate executives preparing to carry out mass layoffs, who discovers his wife is having an affair.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Bellingcat gets its name from an Aesop’s fable, in which a group of mice decide the best way to save themselves from their nemesis the cat is to put a bell around its neck that would alert them to its presence.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
Described as a political fable that combines elements of a crime thriller with epic tragedy, the plot of Minotaur sees a Russian corporate executives preparing to carry out mass layoffs, who discovers his wife is having an affair.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Bellingcat gets its name from an Aesop’s fable, in which a group of mice decide the best way to save themselves from their nemesis the cat is to put a bell around its neck that would alert them to its presence.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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Her 10-episode first season isn’t just an allegory for learning to accept and conquer life’s inescapable anxieties; its horrors are irrefutable for everyone onscreen, which makes for a cathartic, curious, and chilling experience for everyone watching at home.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
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Calling it a national convention made for a better allegory, though.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On her 18th studio album, In Time of Dragons, Amos draws on the long tradition of reptilian imagery to symbolize the elite, from ancient myth to David Icke’s conspiracy theories.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Peloponnese peninsula of Greece is a land packed with myths and legend.—
Helen Brown,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 2-panel chart below tells the tale.—
Carter Braxton Worth,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
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Whitman’s poetry and prose; Melville’s early romances of the sea, Typee, Omoo, and Mardi; three novels by Harriet Beecher Stowe, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and the complete tales and sketches of Nathaniel Hawthorne.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The point was to conform language to lies, to narrow the range of thought, to obscure the truth, and, over time, to get people to believe in illusions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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There were no lies told about this team’s postseason prowess.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Jesus, who speaks in parables, not in dicta or dogmas, provides us with a primary instance of the power of the nonliteral tale.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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On Sundays, O’Neal’s father preached hope from the pulpit, stories of his family intertwined with morals and truths and parables.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This is the unknown, true story of how the Loch Ness Monster became a legend.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
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Oettinger has been that guy before — his performance in a seven-game loss to Calgary in 2022 is the stuff of legends.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hokum gives you a taste of one tormented scribe’s fiction before introducing you to the man behind the keyboard.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
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The director’s 2024 fiction project In Her Place also is streaming on Netflix.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
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Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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