Definition of storynext
1
as in tale
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 anecdote
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
as in whisper
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature stories going around that the old man had died with thousands of dollars hidden under his mattress

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6
7
as in plot
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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8
as in situation
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 story Cartoonists on Dolly Parton's life and legacy Join 350,000+ subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles. The Week Us, TheWeek, 29 Aug. 2026 Clips from her witty interviews, filled with Old Hollywood stories and cigarette smoke, are shared often across social media. Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 The five-story, 97,000-square-foot building opened Sunday after 18 months of construction. Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Read More TopicsVenice Film Festival Get the latest fashion stories, style, and tips, handpicked for you, everyday. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for story
Noun
  • Set in 1964 and based on a true story, the film tells the tale of a young journalist who tracks down a potential Nazi officer living secretly in New York and befriends the suspect’s charming wife.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Like James himself, the men are clever and bookish, writing letters or diaries, reading voraciously, and imagining themselves into tales of romance and Biblical comeuppance.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The National Park Service is asking for information about anyone who may have been hiking or backpacking along Bright Angel Creek in Arizona, as well as campers with plans to stay at Phantom Ranch or the Bright Angel Campground.
    Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to contact the Fort Worth Police Department at 817-392-4330.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But Oxley, writing in a commentary, cautioned that there are logistical hurdles and said the value of Venezuela’s reserves may have been exaggerated under former President Hugo Chavez.
    Collin Binkley, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Fed chairman, who took office in May for a four-year term, has so far shared very little commentary on the state of the economy or policy outlook.
    Jenni Reid, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Maybe the lasting message of Furious, until its second season arrives, is that there are no answers — or at least, none that can be said louder than a whisper shared between new friends bonding during a jailhouse meeting.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The extent of his former client list was unearthed through whispers and gossip.
    Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The show’s noir movie aesthetics still serve its story of political ambition, where revenge is disguised as justice and greed hidden behind lofty lies of patriotism.
    Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The new layout on the wide-body plane features 144 premium seats, including 70 lie-flat seats with sliding doors in its Flagship Suite section at the front of the plane.
    Michele Luhn, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In June, the FBI arrested five suspects in an alleged plot to target the Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House South Lawn with explosive-laden drones.
    Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Other rules, such as removing shoes and the 3-1-1 liquids policy, were implemented in response to later, separate terrorist plots.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But Joshi says mental health care is often treated as an afterthought in disaster situations, and resources can get pulled before people have fully made sense of the trauma.
    Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Capturing these situations can help researchers study capability limits, failure modes, and recovery strategies that successful demonstrations alone may not reveal.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Deep in the Pyrenees mountains, a young man, Miquel, struggles in the wake of his mother’s death in a snowstorm — a tragic event that was at the center of Tóibín’s 2006 novella, A Long Winter.
    Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Published in 1979, this novella is the oldest of the books noted here, but time has certainly not diminished its power.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/story. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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