fairy tale

noun

Definition of fairy talenext
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive did you really see a bear, or are you telling us another one of your fairy tales?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fairy tale And sure, other towns in the area, such as Monterey, with its famous aquarium, or fairy tale-like Carmel-by-the-Sea, may be more well-known. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026 From Sarajevo, take a scenic 2-hour train ride on Eurail to Mostar, a picture-perfect Medieval town with an arched bridge straight out of a fairy tale. — Sarah Sekula, USA Today, 26 June 2026 This is the latest good news for fans of the long-running animation franchise that explores the fairy tale world and is loosely based on William Steig’s 1990 picture book, Shrek! — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026 Now that the fairy tale ended a long time ago, their incredible businesses, tremendous leadership, and franchises — moats — keep them a big part of the S & P 500 and the biggest part of tech, which is the biggest part of everything. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fairy tale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fairy tale
  1. lie
  2. tale
  3. story
Noun
  • The plane also includes a spacious press cabin, according to a pool reporter onboard, with lie-flat seats that feature a massage function and individual TV screens.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The press cabin contains 14 lie-flat pods, including large tan leather seats with luxury features such as lumbar supports and massage functions.
    — Emily Chang, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • The agonizing legal circus surrounding Sumner Redstone’s final years at Paramount/Viacom is a sobering cautionary tale.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 6 July 2026
  • The past few summers have seen nightmare tales from heatwaves in Europe — the continent with the fastest-rising temperatures under global warming.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of tale
Noun
  • This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 July 2026
  • Gil was trapped beneath more than 100 tons of rubble after the partial collapse of the Galerias Playa Grande commercial center, which includes buildings nine and four stories tall.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of story

Browse Nearby Words

fairylike
fairy tale
fairy tales
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fairy tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fairy%20tale. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fairy tale

Nglish: Translation of fairy tale for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fairy tale

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