to spin a yarn

Examples

• All

• He sure spins a yarn for a kid.

  Captains Courageous (1937)

• Bilbo is also spinning a yarn and not doing history, which Frodo and Sam were.

  Blog text (33)

• I heard her spinning a yarn next to me.

  Fiction book (2002)

• At first, Obama just wanted to spin a yarn that allowed him to escape responsibility.

  Blog text (23)

• I mean, a homicide detective sort of crosses social lines, and the average host or hostess enjoys a detective or two around to spin a yarn.

  Fiction book (1997)

• Nowadays the patrons are mostly Malay, but a regular told us a few old-timers still drop by occasionally to spin yarns about past times at the Coliseum.

  Blog text (27)

• At the campfire, the old man loves to spin a yarn about his adventurous travels around the world.

• Every weekend, my friends gather to spin yarns filled with wild exaggerations and humor.

Synonyms

M

to make up

vsto spin a yarn

972 3.2

Invent a story or excuse that is not true

produces long imaginative narratives rather than any brief invented thing

T

to tell a story

vsto spin a yarn

84 1.1

To describe things that happened, real or made up, to other people

tells long imaginative tales often exaggerated rather than neutral accounts

T

to tell stories

vsto spin a yarn

73 1.4

Talk about events, real or imagined, to other people

focuses on long imaginative storytelling often exaggerated rather than simple narration

C

to concoct

vsto spin a yarn

46 6.0

Make up a story or excuse to trick people

creates an extended imaginative tale rather than merely inventing a plan or excuse

E

to embroider

vsto spin a yarn

3 5.5

To add extra details to a story that often make it less true

creates the whole long imaginative account rather than only adding details

T

to tell a tale

vsto spin a yarn

3 3.5

Say a story about something that happened or show signs of it

means long imaginative storytelling often exaggerated rather than factual account

S

to spin a story

vsto spin a yarn

1 4.8

Make up and tell a tale, often to entertain or avoid trouble

focuses on long, elaborate tales rather than brief invented remarks

Y

to yarn

vsto spin a yarn

• Informal

1 6.7

To tell a long story that is probably not true

is the same idea but expressed as a short phrase

P

to pull the long bow

vsto spin a yarn

• Archaic

9.1

To tell a story in a way that makes what happened sound bigger or not true

tells long imaginative tales often for entertainment rather than plain lying

G

to give a line

vsto spin a yarn

• Informal

8.0

To tell someone a false story to impress or trick them

tells a long imaginative tale often for entertainment rather than to deceive

H

to hoke up

vsto spin a yarn

• Informal

9.9

To invent a story or excuse that is not true

is a long imaginative narrative rather than a quick invented excuse

How Inventive

to make up

972 3.2

to spin a yarn

• Informal

1 6.8

to embellish

19 6.1

to relate

58 2.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology