a made-up story or fabrication; fiction; a tale that is not true.
彼の話はほとんど作り話だと周囲は気づいていた。
Those around him realized that most of his stories were made up.
子どもたちに寝る前の作り話を聞かせた。
I told the children a made-up story before bed.
その記事は事実に基づかない作り話だと批判された。
The article was criticized as a fabrication not based on facts.