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

Sesame oil is high in antioxidants that may help decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease, along with reducing joint pain related to arthritis. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025

Gein died in 1984 at the age of 77 of respiratory failure related to lung cancer while still at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Wisconsin. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025

Dhillon's office requested unredacted incident reports related to the use of force, arrests and other actions and communications regarding directions given to police officers responding to protests at ICE facilities within the past 30 days. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025

He’s been arrested by Indianapolis police on three misdemeanor charges related to the altercation. —Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for relate to

• hullabaloo
• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup