tall story
Fish that grew
A tall story is an exaggerated or unbelievable account, the kind that stretches credibility past the breaking point.
The phrase suggests something built too high to stand: He spun a tall story about wrestling a bear.
Often used affectionately for entertaining fabrications rather than malicious lies.
Also called a tall tale.
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- whopperOutsized thing or untruth
- cock-and-bullAbsurdly unbelievable, as tales
- taleSpoken or written narrative
stretching the truth · legend · embellishment · overstatement · fable · fiction · porky · lie · myth · big fish · fabrication · pack of lies · untruth · fishy · hard to swallow · anecdote · dramatization · wink
truthfulness/veracity
tall storytrue story
Narrative of actual events
gospel truth · historical record · plain truth · fact · truth
story, tall, stories, tally, storied, storybook, storyteller, taller, storyline