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

The other part of it, the confidence, is something that any NHL player can relate to. —Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025

But while artists can take legal steps to prevent their songs from being played at campaign rallies, the use in social media posts relates to how the music was obtained. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks who was named one of the NHL’s top 100 players of all time in 2017, had missed the past two seasons for health reasons related to Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and long COVID-19. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025

The seasonal shift to cheaper winter-blend gasoline could help offset cost increases related to the refinery fire, softening the impact for drivers. —Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for relate to

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