as in allegory
a story intended to teach a basic truth or moral about life
the parable in which the repentant sinner is compared to the returning prodigal son who is welcomed home
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Recent Examples of parable
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.
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Bryan Walsh, Vox, 5 Mar. 2025
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
Elegant and spare, this is an environmental parable that doesn’t hammer away at its message.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 4 Dec. 2024
From paintings on ancient cave walls to parables, fables, and memes, animals have served as important storytelling tools.
—Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for parable
Bryan Walsh, Vox, 5 Mar. 2025
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
Elegant and spare, this is an environmental parable that doesn’t hammer away at its message.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 4 Dec. 2024
From paintings on ancient cave walls to parables, fables, and memes, animals have served as important storytelling tools.
—Randy Boyagoda, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for parable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parable
Noun
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Not to mention the unmissable and complex political allegories woven through each of the film trilogies and the subsequent proliferation of series, including Andor and The Mandalorian.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
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The film seems to be intended as an AIDS allegory, depicting a virus spread by sharing needles and bodily fluids.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Noun
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But even more than that, Joe wants to be the hero of this warped fable.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
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The exhibition at DuSable Black History Museum features works made by Nazareno in response to Brazilian fables that that draw inspiration from the pantheon of Orixás–a system of entities worshipped in parts of Africa and Latin America.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Guns, knives, swords, cleavers, axes, ice picks and flamethrowers will all be put to use in this tale of a revenge.—
Andrew Torgan,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
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For all that this season marks a new epoch in the tale of booming UEFA prize money, cash will be far from the thoughts of Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday evening in Munich.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parable. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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