relate to

phrasal verb

related to; relating to; relates to

1

: to connect (something) with (something else)

Few of the people who became sick related their symptoms to the food they'd eaten the day before.

2

: to understand and like or have sympathy for (someone or something)

I can relate to your feelings.

I've never been able to relate to him very well.

He writes songs that people can really relate to.

3

—used to describe how someone talks to or behaves toward (someone else)

How a child relates to her teacher can affect her education.

4

: to be connected with (someone or something) : to be about (someone or something)

The readings relate to the class discussions.

—often used as (be) related to

The exam questions are directly related to the readings.

Examples of relate to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This was an isolated incident related to an unintended laboratory technician error that impacted a very small number of patients. —Danielle Bacher, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024

The Sacramento District Attorney’s Office has not yet released the results of its investigation into whether deputies committed criminal misconduct related to Catanzarite’s death. —Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024

Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information related to the case can contact Detective Jason Greathead at 408-846-0373 or the anonymous tip line 408-846-0330. —Jason Green, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024

One appeal is related to a Jan. 19 ruling by Pulaski County Circuit Judge Patricia James that, in part, levied a preliminary injunction against two laws that the board's suit contends violate the state constitution. —Josh Snyder, arkansasonline.com, 23 Apr. 2024

Goodlett is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a federal charge related to false information in the warrant for the home of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by LMPD in 2020. —The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024

Same goes for firearms and wearing party apparel related to a candidate, measure or political party on the ballot. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2024

Biden’s meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are expected to produce announcements relating to infrastructure, energy security, digital connectivity and maritime security. —Alexandra Banner, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024

Things got a little strange when Microsoft’s Copilot randomly generated a request asking for information related to voter fraud during the 2020 election—even without the prompt specifying the year. —Makena Kelly, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024