stories

Definition of storiesnext
plural of story
1
as in tales
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel he's a talented writer, but his quirky stories will never find a wide readership

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2
as in anecdotes
a brief account of something interesting that happened especially to one personally Grandpa is always telling stories about what it was like growing up on a farm

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3
4
5
6
as in plots
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work the story proceeds at a pace that many readers will find a bit too leisurely

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7
as in situations
position with regard to conditions and circumstances management is trying to figure out what the story is with the accident down in the warehouse

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stories 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 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 So, while the average post-starburst galaxy is indeed gas-starved, the individual stories are far more complex. Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026 This newsroom-wide project brings fast facts as stories unfold — making sure our local officials and institutions are telling the truth, serving our communities well and following through on their promises. Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026 Their stories have repeatedly shifted and changed to suit whatever their current agenda happens to be. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 During the hearing the applicant also noted the new buildings would be four stories, rather than five stories. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026 Inside the media center, rows of workstations equipped with laptops and charging points allow reporters to file stories. ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026 Filmmakers have used the Civil War as a setting for many decades now, inspiring stories of epic military battles, romantic melodramas, and even satires, from sweeping Best Picture winners like Gone With the Wind (1939) to revisionist Westerns like Django Unchained (2012). Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stories
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • Cutesy anecdotes alternated with triumphs and tragedies—a school district rescued from a ransomware gang, an iPad salvaged from a plane crash.
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Following the announcement of Lilly’s acquisition, Roberts shared these anecdotes along with the original investment memo and slide deck once used to get Kelonia — then called Elcano Therapeutics — off the ground.
    Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Plaintiff attorneys have built similar tools capable of producing polished demand letters, medical chronologies, and settlement ranges using massive legal datasets.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The Southern Sinagua people, hardy folk who lived in the area from about 1150 to around 1400, drew them to mark major happenings in their world, keep chronologies of celestial events or map out favorite Verde River hotspots.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Of course, this being DC and the WHCD, there are always whispers and smoke.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The amount of hearing patients gained varied, but 80% achieved at least some significant hearing restoration and 42% ended up with normal hearing, which included the ability to hear whispers, Regeneron says.
    Rob Stein, NPR, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • There were no lies told about this team’s postseason prowess.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The fascists had already told many lies.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Amid that frenzy, Gala Games sold the initial allotment of 4,661 NFT plots of Legacy land within days of first putting them up for public sale.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The roster includes several farmed by Robert Biale Vineyards, which produces seven vineyard-designate Zinfandels, a Barbera, and a Petite Sirah from Napa Valley plots planted between 1905 and the 1960s, more than half of which are home to vines dating back over 100 years.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • With Venus in Gemini aligning with Pluto in Aquarius, honest conversations help shift situations that have been stuck.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Yet context means little in situations like Wolves’.
    Steve Madeley, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • This pair of novellas is about a middle-aged woman, the heroine’s sister, who comes to Tokyo intent on obtaining breast implants and a protagonist contemplating artificial insemination in a culture that doubts the procedure’s morality.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • House of the Dragon premieres its third season this summer ahead of a fourth and likely final season in 2028, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas, is in production on season 2 for release in 2027.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stories. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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