tall stories
Hard to believe
Tall stories are exaggerated or implausible narratives, typically told as if true but understood by listeners to be embellished or outright fabricated.
The genre thrives on increasingly absurd details delivered with a straight face: Grandpa's tall stories about walking ten miles to school—uphill both ways.
Also called tall tales.
- whopperOutsized thing or untruth
- big fishInfluential person or large swimmer
- stretching the truthExaggerating while claiming honesty
- taleSpoken or written narrative
- boastSpeak with excessive pride
yarn · fable · myth · old wives' tale · anecdote · lies · embellishment · urban myth · fish · fabrication · exaggeration · legend · once upon a time · campfire · fictions · elaboration · distortion · bluff
- misinformationmisinformation, disinformation, fake news, falsehoods, hoaxes
- deceptionslie, lies, lying, deceit, decoy
tall storiesfacts
Verifiable pieces of truth
gospel truth · nonfiction · documentary · historical record · sworn testimony
tall storiesofficial records
Authenticated documented information
formal reports · journalism · academic writing · police reports · incident reports