apocryphal

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.

Havel tells the apocryphal story of a greengrocer who refuses to place a sign proclaiming “Workers of the world, unite!” in his shop window.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

This apocryphal lazybones is defined by two traits.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

Maybe it’s time to revive the old, possibly apocryphal Red Auerbach legends about fire alarms and turning off the air conditioning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

There is an apocryphal story that as the book landed on desks around Hollywood, everyone flipped to the index to see what Phillips had written about them.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024

But he wasn’t called anything because this is an apocryphal story, which means that it is a lie, too.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon