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
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Recent Examples of fable
Peter Rabbit himself is presented as a Jesus-like figure, with his countless fables documenting his frequent victories over the evil Mr. McGregor, a farmer in Potter's books but akin to the devil in Rusty Rabbit.
—
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Image In the American fable, Indigenous people are cast as side characters to innocent explorers fulfilling Manifest Destiny.
—Petala Ironcloud, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The film, which won the jury prize at the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film festival, is a hilarious fable about trying to lead a creative life and failing miserably at making ends meet.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 24 May 2025
But even more than that, Joe wants to be the hero of this warped fable.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Image In the American fable, Indigenous people are cast as side characters to innocent explorers fulfilling Manifest Destiny.
—Petala Ironcloud, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The film, which won the jury prize at the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film festival, is a hilarious fable about trying to lead a creative life and failing miserably at making ends meet.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 24 May 2025
But even more than that, Joe wants to be the hero of this warped fable.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fable
Noun
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In its pleasantly complicated world-building, the series manages to be a shrewd political thriller, a cracking adventure, and a haunting religious allegory rolled into one.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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Now, over two decades later, 28 Years Later breathes new life into the franchise’s infection allegory in a world that is still recovering from a years-long global pandemic.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Reason 2: The Obsession with Control The second myth plaguing modern business is the assumption that complex systems can be controlled through tighter management processes.—
Tima Bansal,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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In my own writing, the process of myth making fascinates me.—
Irenosen Okojie
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Both Van Poppel and Taylor, who injured his shoulder in a bar fight in 1993 and never reached the major leagues, are cautionary tales on the dangers of taking a high school pitcher in the first round.—
Melissa Lockard,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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Sula by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison’s suite of stunning historical novels includes Beloved, A Mercy, and this 1973 tale of a friendship between Sula Peace and Nel Wright.—
Mia Barzilay Freund,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Basing a political movement on lies and conspiracy theories is inevitably going to come back to haunt you.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
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The misinformation, and sometimes blatant lies, being spread around the country could result in someone stepping into a federal operation and suddenly finding themselves face-to-face with a killer who has nothing to lose.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Noun
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It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story.—
Jann E. Freed,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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Some such principles can even be drawn from Christ’s own parables.—
Alejandro Antonio Chafuen,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Noun
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After teasing a trek earlier this week, Paul McCartney has revealed that his Got Back Tour will return to North America this fall, the Beatles legend’s first tour stateside in four years.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
10 July 2025
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Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Girl, 1983 is still more deft in its experiments, subverting conventional ideas about fiction’s use of the truth.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
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That is why this fiction is not built on facts, but rather on traversing the labyrinths of memory.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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Douglas also shared some stories from Cuckoo’s Nest, including ones about Nicholson.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fable. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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