tales

noun

plural of tale
1
as in stories
a rumor or report of a personal or sensational nature don't believe the tales you hear about our neighbor's kid

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in anecdotes
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lies
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in novellas
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel the oft-told tale of Sleeping Beauty

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in counts
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 tales The story gains a sense of momentum and inevitability as these disconnected tales suddenly become part of a continuous thread. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 And in 2017, historian Alberto (Carlos González) struggles to figure out how the two preceding tales intersect, stumped until an academic (Glenn Close in a brief, striking cameo) steps in to help. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 In the special, taped at the Ontario Improv in Ontario, CA, Robles shares tales of growing up with a strict Latino Catholic mother, navigating the dating world, and life on the road. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Flanagan is the prolific horror writer-director who has tackled several Stephen King tales (Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, Carrie) and delivered several limited series hits for Netflix (Midnight Mass, The Fall of the House of Usher). — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 How did the zombie go from being an emblem of enslavement and loss of autonomy in Haitian Vodou to the favorite flesh-eating grotesquerie of postapocalyptic tales? — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026 Nalla Roberts has been fascinated with tales like this for years, growing obsessed with Greek myths in her childhood. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026 In the tales of the Buddha’s past lives, the Jatakas, the Buddha was reborn as various animals. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 Marked by a surprisingly tall neon tower, the theatre hosts a 45-minute ghost tour that dives into local lore and spooky tales of yesteryear. — Nicholas Derenzo, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tales
  1. stories
  2. lies
  3. novellas
  4. counts
  5. whispers
  6. scores
  7. tallies
Noun
  • People love spy stories, but there is nothing amusing, or romantic, about this one.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Long initially envisioned the event as an art exhibition, with the cars as the artwork and their owners’ stories providing the human connection.
    — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stories
Noun
  • Closing that gap is where the real challenge—and opportunity—lies.
    — Anand Solanki, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Another way to hold accountable those spreading lies online is to sue them.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lies
Noun
  • There have always been short books, some traditionally noted as novellas (20,000-40,000 words), yet not marketed as such.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 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 novellas
Noun
  • Former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Tuesday was found liable for two counts of battery by a Miami jury, but not liable for eight other claims made by his wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro, according to ESPN.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Los Angeles County will conduct future homeless counts and apply for federal grants on behalf of the region’s homeless services providers, taking over two functions from the beleaguered Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of counts
Noun
  • The whispers about their similarities intensified on the announcement of the engagement of Crown Prince Hussein, son of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, to Rajwa in August 2022.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 17 Oct. 2026
  • High prices also a factor But despite positive weather news and whispers of an abundance of crab, other factors could affect prices in adverse ways for consumers.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of whispers
Noun
  • Students from hundreds of schools and scores of universities joined the protests, backed by their parents, teachers, and trade unions.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The simple-seeming request turned into an arduous task that would require scores of emails, multiple phone calls with Epic employees, a flight to Las Vegas, and a software update.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of scores
Noun
  • Follow the latest numbers, including data breakdowns by party and tallies in states with competitive Senate battlegrounds.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The data firm’s proprietary MIV figure tallies the impact of relevant media placements on online, social and print, inclusive of paid, owned and earned mediums.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of tallies

Browse Nearby Words

talents
tales
tale-teller
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tales. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All