Definitions

tales

[teylz, tey-leez] / teɪlz, ˈteɪ liz /

NOUN

story

Synonyms

STRONGEST

account anecdote fable fiction legend myth narrative novel short story yarn

STRONG

narration relation report romance saga

WEAK

fairy tale folk tale

Antonyms

STRONGEST

non-fiction truth

NOUN

made-up story

Synonyms

STRONGEST

fiction rumor yarn

STRONG

canard chestnut clothesline defamation detraction exaggeration fabrication falsehood falsity fib lie misrepresentation prevarication rigmarole scandal slander spiel untruth

WEAK

cock-and-bull story tall story untruism

Antonyms

STRONGEST

truth

STRONG

honesty praise

WEAK

non-fiction

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are scripted, story-specific beats, but the cards pulled — and the tales they tell — is, of course, randomized.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Send your tales from the trek to [email protected].

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t so fatigued by Monkey’s Paw tales because horror’s cyclical nature hasn’t yet completely revamped this trope for a new era.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

The siblings concocted complex lineages and histories for their countries, writing Angrian and Gondalian tales and verse in tiny homemade books.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

You wouldn’t believe the wild tales I’ve heard.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson