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 treatment record for your injuries related to this incident. —Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026

In this situation, an RV has remained parked on a public street for several months and has received citations related to these violations. —Zach Boetto, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026

Patrol and special operations officers, working an area seeing crowds and visitors related to Super Bowl LX being held Sunday in Santa Clara, arrived to find two men with gunshot wounds. —Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026

Police said the woman’s family has been notified and the state of Connecticut agencies related to health care facility operations will be notified. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for relate to

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