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 toThe exam questions are directly related to the readings.
Examples of relate to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Weiss has used her rolodex to book guests related to the topic.
—
Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026
All the charges were related to Spencer’s daughter, Staley told CNN.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
The part-time position aids in the district in fulfilling its responsibility to the community as related to the composting, bulb recovery, battery recycling, drop off recycling and/or electronics recycling programs, a release stated.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
The problem, at least in the minds of a growing number of privacy and immigration advocates, is that the readers capture a vast amount of information not related to any specific criminal investigation.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for relate to
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Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026
All the charges were related to Spencer’s daughter, Staley told CNN.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
The part-time position aids in the district in fulfilling its responsibility to the community as related to the composting, bulb recovery, battery recycling, drop off recycling and/or electronics recycling programs, a release stated.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
The problem, at least in the minds of a growing number of privacy and immigration advocates, is that the readers capture a vast amount of information not related to any specific criminal investigation.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for relate to
Cite this Entry
“Relate to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relate%20to. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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