relate to

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 recall, which was published on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website on May 1, is related to an infotainment control unit software issue that can cause the critical instrument data to go blank. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 May 2026

The 19-year-old has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to taking money to transport undocumented immigrants within the United States. —Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026

The Pentagon has been working on declassifying documents related to UFOs for years, and Congress created an office in 2022 to declassify material. —Seung Min Kim, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

Here's a look at the files related to Texas. —Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 8 May 2026

Rhymes for relate to

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