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 only reference in the Common Interest Community Association Act, or CICAA, to $100,000 relates to the exemption standard for small common interest communities from applicability of CICAA. —Howard Dakoff, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026

International Olympic Committee officials, including President Kirsty Coventry, couldn’t avoid questions relating to ICE and the Jeffrey Epstein files at a news conference in Milan, Italy, on Sunday. —Daniella Matar, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Read was last June acquitted of all charges, save for drunken driving, related to the murder of her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe. —Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026

In 2008, Epstein was convicted by a Florida state court on charges related to procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute. —David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for relate to

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