urban legend

noun

: an often lurid story or anecdote that is based on hearsay and widely circulated as true
the urban legend of alligators living in the sewers

called also urban myth

Examples of urban legend in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The film’s title and setting draw inspiration from the imagery of a creepypasta (or internet urban legend) published to the website 4chan in 2019. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 June 2025 One of the more entertaining shows on Discovery, Expedition Files stars Josh Gates, who travels the world to dive into urban legends and tall tales and figure out the truth behind them. K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025 Suddenly, his paranoia, fueled by any number of unsettling urban legends, kicked in. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 May 2025 While renovating an elementary school in Mexico, workers stumbled upon a historic coffin and collection of burials — and confirmed an urban legend about the 400-year-old building. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for urban legend

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of urban legend was in 1968

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Cite this Entry

“Urban legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban%20legend. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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