tale

noun

ˈtāl How to pronounce tale (audio)
Definition of talenext
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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5
as in count
a total number obtained or recorded by noting each thing as it was being added when the tale of the dead from the disaster is announced, the city will be in shock

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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 tale Telling such a tale of taking the proverbial bull by the horns would play well in the presidential election as well. — Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Writers who tell tales without accounting for the omnipresence of digital eyes and data trails do so at their peril. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 Where death’s grey skies loom large, the 2000s are portrayed in silvery black and white while ancient action takes place in vibrant colors, with Dante’s tale of sin and justice rolled into one story. — A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026 The story’s universality is born from its cultural specificity, as a mid-‘90s tale of a Bay Area outsider, who feels alien both in his social life as well as at home. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tale
  1. story
  2. lie
  3. novella
  4. count
  5. whisper
  6. fable
  7. tally
  8. score
Noun
  • Davis has provided accounts of his role in Tupac’s murder a number of times, and his story has remained fairly consistent over the years.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • This collaboration represents a step in enabling filmmakers and creators to tell more immersive, emotionally rich stories with the highest global standards.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of story
Noun
  • Lindsay Clancy defense wants influencer to expose hospital ‘lies’ as judge warns ‘this is not Tripadvisor’.
    — , FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Broad Peak, which rises 8,051 meters (26,414 feet) above sea level in the Karakoram range, is the world’s 12th-highest mountain and lies near K2, the world’s second-highest peak.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • Written by Samy Burch (May December) based on Arthur Schnitzler’s 1890s novella.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The series currently encompasses nine sub-series arcs, standalone novels, novellas, English-language manga and graphic novels.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of novella
Noun
  • On a 3-2 count to Carson Benge, Bichette was caught stealing.
    — CBS New York Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, was arrested early Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, just hours after the boat carrying 14 people overturned in New York Harbor, the New York Police Department said.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of count
Noun
  • Furthermore, the collaboration advanced a large-area ammonia compressor, which could bring this whisper-quiet technology closer to commercial use in noise-sensitive environments like hospitals, schools, and homes.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Delicate Japanese simplicity prevails while leaving whispers of the original French palatial style—such as distinctive moldings that are unique to the building.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of whisper
Noun
  • Likewise, Schoenbrun specializes in zeitgeisty fables about 21st century isolation.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Here is the rather randy first trailer for Wicker, the comedic fable starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård and Peter Dinklage that debuted at Sundance in January.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Definition of fable
Noun
  • Challenge participants collectively removed a total of 280 snakes from south Florida, bringing the annual competition’s overall tally to more than 1,600 pythons.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The move separated that accounting from the tally of killed and wounded earlier in the war.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tally
Noun
  • Aside from the team information, shown below is each game’s rating, the probability of the favorite winning, the median score for each team and the median margin of victory for the favorite.
    — Loren Maxwell, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • That score held until two outs in the ninth, when Smith delivered the game-tying single that set the Giants’ latest loss in motion.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of score

Phrases Containing tale

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taking up with
tale
talebearer
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Cite this Entry

“Tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tale. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tale for Spanish Speakers

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