1
as in allegories
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 myths
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tales
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lies
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fables
That Niall finds Ruben so alluring is natural to Gadd, who believes the notion of a valiant male figure has been bred into everyone via fables and fairy tales.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
Both fables and translations are forms of constrained writing.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The performance felt both virtuosic and repulsive, a goulash of hype, sloganeering, and calls to violence spiked with in-jokes, shaggy-dog anecdotes, and populist fables, all of it seductive and—in our dangerous era—familiar.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Animated family films have been a staple of entertainment culture for nearly a century and offer a rich catalog of adventures, fables, fairy tales and dramas.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Nurture the geese who lay the golden eggs One of Aesop’s most famous fables is the tale of the goose that laid a golden egg every day until its owner killed it in an attempt to get all the gold at once.
—Sally Percy, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Fortnum & Mason does not need a goose from Aesop’s fables to have a golden egg.
—Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
Both fables and translations are forms of constrained writing.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
The Easter Bunny is on the lookout for the best egg, and along the way, his friends tell him tales and fables.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The performance felt both virtuosic and repulsive, a goulash of hype, sloganeering, and calls to violence spiked with in-jokes, shaggy-dog anecdotes, and populist fables, all of it seductive and—in our dangerous era—familiar.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Animated family films have been a staple of entertainment culture for nearly a century and offer a rich catalog of adventures, fables, fairy tales and dramas.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Or throw it back with some age-old fables or fairy tales.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Nurture the geese who lay the golden eggs One of Aesop’s most famous fables is the tale of the goose that laid a golden egg every day until its owner killed it in an attempt to get all the gold at once.
—Sally Percy, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fables
Noun
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But if these movies are progressive allegories of beings transcending their differences, then Hoppers is a surprisingly blunt pushback to that notion.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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Chandran’s reference to allegories suggests the adaptation is leaning into the arc’s political dimensions — the civil war, the manipulation of a nation by a Warlord of the Sea, and the cost of leadership.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There’s something for everybody in myths.—
Marah Eakin,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
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The first is the broader destigmatization of cannabis, as state after state dismantles old laws and outdated myths.—
Dr. Sanjay Gupta,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Co-founded by Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, the museum will rotate the famous filmmaker’s vast collection of narrative art, which contains objects not found in more traditional museums, including manga, comics and children’s tales.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The lobby is where the elderly owner scares children with tales of a witch who once haunted these grounds.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There were no lies told about this team’s postseason prowess.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
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The fascists had already told many lies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
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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New York Mets legends Gary Carter and Bud Harrelson both managed the team, with the latter also being a part-owner.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Hat tip to the production legends Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (best known for lacing Janet Jackson, Usher, and other R&B titans with hits over the past several decades), who add to the track’s timeless appeal.—
Adelle Platon,
VIBE.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Fascism spins the greatest fictions of all time—about race, about origins, about past and future glories—and people eat them up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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The fictions of both films are factually contextualized from the start.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some of the original board members are still involved with the museum, but hundreds more joined the effort, some volunteering, others donating surf boards and memorabilia, and many sharing their stories, including famous surfers from Eddie Aikau, Nat Young, Greg Noll and Donald Takayama.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 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.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fables. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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