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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tale
The presentation is both a celebration of the Sonoran Desert and a cautionary tale about humanity's impact on it, said Matthew Shaw, co-founder of ScanLAB Projects.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
Turmoil at the Texas data center company Fermi is a cautionary tale about what happens when a startup jumps too quickly into the AI development boom.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
For some, the implications of duplicity and obscured identity in the line could well apply to its author—and thereby hangs a tale.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Whether this initiative eventually becomes a model for others to replicate, or a cautionary tale, may depend on how successfully the government can manage the volume of applications, and the political storm building around it.
—Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
Turmoil at the Texas data center company Fermi is a cautionary tale about what happens when a startup jumps too quickly into the AI development boom.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
For some, the implications of duplicity and obscured identity in the line could well apply to its author—and thereby hangs a tale.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Whether this initiative eventually becomes a model for others to replicate, or a cautionary tale, may depend on how successfully the government can manage the volume of applications, and the political storm building around it.
—Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
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
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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The opera, and the novella it is based on, were written in French.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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The chiller is adapted from Elizabeth Engstrom’s cult 1980s novella of the same name.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His pitch count goes up, runners get on base, and the Mets have no choice but to bring in another arm.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The last two counts are to be served concurrently to each other but consecutive to the first.—
Courier-News,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Of course, this being DC and the WHCD, there are always whispers and smoke.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
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In Islamabad, the almost indecipherable whisper of leaks has turned to crickets.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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On Friday, April 10, when those winged sprites took to the War Memorial Opera House stage for a seven-performance run, the whole tartan-and-gossamer fable felt more alive than ever.—
Rachel Howard,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There is no official tally, but one estimate reported by The Wall Street Journal suggests that roughly half of the nearly 1,000 drone attacks on Saudi Arabia originated from Iraq.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Well over 200 journalists and media workers have been killed according to a tally from the Committee to Protect Journalists organization, far more than in conflicts elsewhere like the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Deepti Hajela,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The ball slid right underneath his glove, allowing two runs to score, and Semien to end up at second.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Richter came to the plate in the top of the sixth with one out and the score tied 2-2.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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