as in tale
a traditional description of imaginary events circulated orally among a people
West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling
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Recent Examples of folktale
Aladdin, a character from a Middle Eastern folktale, stumbles on an oil lamp that unleashes a powerful, larger-than-life genie who grants him three wishes.
—
Sonal Jain, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Look at rumors, gossip, metaphors, euphemisms, folktales—all the means by which subordinate groups disguise their opposition.
—Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Everyone in the studio nods along to Paco’s tough-minded flexes and mafioso folktales.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2025
Interspersed in the narrative, there are South Asian folktales about a jackal who is punished for pretending to be a king and a foolish man who puts all his eggs in a basket.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Sonal Jain, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Look at rumors, gossip, metaphors, euphemisms, folktales—all the means by which subordinate groups disguise their opposition.
—Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Everyone in the studio nods along to Paco’s tough-minded flexes and mafioso folktales.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2025
Interspersed in the narrative, there are South Asian folktales about a jackal who is punished for pretending to be a king and a foolish man who puts all his eggs in a basket.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folktale
Noun
-
The Coldplay public humiliation is a cautionary tale of atrophied American privacy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
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That tale is just one of many in the story that don’t show Joel in an especially flattering light.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Ozzy Osbourne, the former Black Sabbath frontman and heavy metal legend also known as the Prince of Darkness, has died at 76.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
22 July 2025
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Those 1985 multi-artist shows in London and Philadelphia — which raised the equivalent of $450 million in today’s currency for African famine relief and boasted lineups full of legends and icons of the MTV era (U2, Madonna, Duran Duran) — aimed big and worked better than anyone could have expected.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
Noun
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The extensive new detention policy is also expected to face legal challenges This is a developing story.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
15 July 2025
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Get a weekly round up of the top tech stories from around the world in your inbox every Friday.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
Noun
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In my own writing, the process of myth making fascinates me.—
Irenosen Okojie
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
-
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
Noun
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Antonia Drew Norton, founder and executive director of Asha Family Services, said the child's homicide was directly tied to the family's history of domestic violence and abuse, as documented in public records.—
Ashley Luthern,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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Montreal artist Valerie Jodoin Keaton’s commission to create a mural for the ground floor space features vintage black-and-white photographs of Montreal’s history.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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The Percy Jackson star first sparked romance rumors in January 2020 but the couple didn't make their red carpet debut until August 2022 at the Bullet Train premiere.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
26 July 2025
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One day prior to Swift showing love to Happy Gilmore 2, Kelce shared a number of photos of himself and the singer, giving fans a rare look into their romance.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folktale. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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