The term 'told tales' can be broken down into four crossword solutions: NARRATED, yarned, LIED, and gossiped. NARRATED is an 8-letter word meaning to tell a story or recount events in detail. Yarned is a 6-letter word meaning to tell a long, entertaining story, often with exaggerated details. LIED is a 4-letter word meaning to tell a falsehood or untruth. Gossiped is an 8-letter word meaning to talk about other people's private affairs in a way that is not kind or respectful. All of these words refer to the act of telling stories, either true or false, for entertainment or to spread information.