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

In a 4-3 decision, the appeals court found that Weinstein's trial judge allowed prosecutors to call women who said Weinstein had assaulted them to testify, even though their accusations did not specifically relate to the entertainment mogul's charges. —Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026

The answer to that question is related to a discovery about Neanderthals included in yesterday's newsletter. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 15 May 2026

An innovation sandbox should also be void of fears related to professional consequences. —Syed Ahmad, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

Arizona officials on Thursday announced 140 indictments related to the schemes. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 15 May 2026

Rhymes for relate to

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