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

When I first encountered this quote in a posting on X, I found it so overdetermined that I thought it must be apocryphal.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 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