1
as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
this classic Christmas film is essentially a fable showing how every person's life has meaning and touches the lives of others
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2
as in myth
a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature
according to an ancient fable the waters of the mountain spring are the tears of a woman weeping for her lost children
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3
as in tale
something that is the product of the imagination
the stories of lost cities of gold may have been fables deliberately concocted by Native Americans to dupe the Spanish
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive
the fables that people tell themselves to rationalize their failures and shortcomings
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fable
Sean Baker’s bittersweet fable stars Mikey Madison as Ani, a 23-year-old New York exotic dancer who falls for her newest client, a Russian oligarch’s son Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn).
—
USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Nicole Kidman's fairy tale life turns into a twisted fable in the trailer for her latest thriller, Holland.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025
Yet the moral of Phaedrus’ fable of the soldier-cinaedus is that such deceptive appearances and actions might actually be strategically successful in military matters.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
In Phaedrus’ fable, the cinaedus is untrustworthy.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Nicole Kidman's fairy tale life turns into a twisted fable in the trailer for her latest thriller, Holland.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025
Yet the moral of Phaedrus’ fable of the soldier-cinaedus is that such deceptive appearances and actions might actually be strategically successful in military matters.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
In Phaedrus’ fable, the cinaedus is untrustworthy.
—Tom Sapsford, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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Later zombie stories tried to frame the condition as a virus, usually created in a lab so the writers can cram some allegories for greed and pride in there.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Apr. 2025
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Generally portrayed as a male, Aslan was created as an allegory for Jesus by author C.S. Lewis.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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First, there is the technology myth, the belief that older employees cannot keep pace with digital advancements.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Because Jordan only gets better and better in memory and myth.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Historians recently unveiled a rare 13th-century document depicting the tales of King Arthur and Merlin – and its survival is considered a miracle.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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That said, the tale of how a crude blue cartoon bear ran for office and actually did well despite common sense became far more relevant once Donald Trump began campaigning for the presidency.—
Steve Greene,
IndieWire,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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An outside investigation tied a Union County elected official to a controversial social media account accused of spreading lies.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2025
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Over the course of the game, hosted by the charming Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick), the cash changed hands a few times, lies were told, innocent people were voted out, and tears were shed.—
Jillian Sederholm,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Absurd parables like this one have been taken seriously by some of the loudest voices in Silicon Valley, many of whom are now warning that AI is an existential risk, more dangerous than nuclear weapons.—
Bryan Walsh,
Vox,
5 Mar. 2025
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Such a trend could be like the parable of the frog in a pot that heats so slowly the frog doesn’t notice it’s being cooked until too late, except that OPEC+ has very good thermometers.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Los Angeles Rams legend reportedly filed for the temporary restraining order against Jenelle Anwar, who has allegedly been following him since 2020.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Punk legend turned pop sensation Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary, revealing his rise to fame, battle with addiction and triumphant comeback that captivated millions of fans worldwide.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The parallels between real life and fiction were haunting.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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To receive The New Yorker’s prize-winning journalism, photography, and short films, along with podcasts, cartoons, fiction, and more, sign up for our daily newsletter.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Source: National Interagency Fire Center This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 4:31 PM.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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This story contains details from the season finale of The Pitt on Max.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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