1
as in communing
to form a close personal relationship
she and I relate so well it's almost like we're siblings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in describing
to give an oral or written account of in some detail
we asked our uncle to relate the story of his visit to communist Russia many years ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pertaining
to have a relation or connection
how does your comment relate to what the rest of us have been talking about for the last hour?
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in associating
to think of (something) in combination
most Americans probably relate tea to the United Kingdom and coffee to the U.S.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of relating
Some of them are old systems of knowledge, ways of relating the body to fertility, death, and survival.
—
George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
The Pisces new moon creates opportunities for fulfillment through relating.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
In relating her story this way, Gisèle is restoring to the record her waking life.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Morello himself serves as kind of a guide in the film, relating his own love of metal growing up as a Black kid in a conservative, ethnically homogeneous suburb of Chicago.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026
The collision of opposing perspectives forges art that challenges and confronts, that forces us out of familiar ways of thinking, relating and being.
—Richard P. Weigand, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Reps for both Harry and the King said that the pair met for tea at Clarence House, relating afterwards that no other details would be shared.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Even the oldest maxim about cab drivers and bell hops giving share prices was tested by relating an anecdote about comments in his village pub from locals and complete strangers firing questions at him and a fellow gold trader about the gold price.
—Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
This is a time which reminds us that relating is a skill.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 16 Dec. 2025
George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
The Pisces new moon creates opportunities for fulfillment through relating.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
In relating her story this way, Gisèle is restoring to the record her waking life.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
Morello himself serves as kind of a guide in the film, relating his own love of metal growing up as a Black kid in a conservative, ethnically homogeneous suburb of Chicago.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026
The collision of opposing perspectives forges art that challenges and confronts, that forces us out of familiar ways of thinking, relating and being.
—Richard P. Weigand, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Reps for both Harry and the King said that the pair met for tea at Clarence House, relating afterwards that no other details would be shared.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Even the oldest maxim about cab drivers and bell hops giving share prices was tested by relating an anecdote about comments in his village pub from locals and complete strangers firing questions at him and a fellow gold trader about the gold price.
—Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
This is a time which reminds us that relating is a skill.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relating
Verb
-
The team were meek in defeat, but after a weekend carousing and communing in central London, Newcastle fans arrived at Wembley with a collective hangover.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Jefferson Airplane communing in the Haight.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When describing his overall plan for ELL and emergent bilingual learning after staff cuts, Licata said those resources are not being spent in the right directions for students.—
Samuel O’Neal
Updated April 29,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
-
What the note was describing lay outside the perimeter.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kolasinski has disputed this allegation, saying that his client was not a gang member and that, while Hernández had been accused of murder in El Salvador, he was acquitted of any charges pertaining to that case.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
The gala’s funds support acquisitions of garments and accessories, but also the institute’s reference library, which holds over 800 periodicals and 1,500 designer files pertaining to the history of fashion and clothing, dating back to the sixteenth century.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The British royal family seems to be trying really hard to distance itself from the Epstein scandal, and part of that involves the King and the major players not associating themselves with Andrew or Fergie again.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
14 Apr. 2026
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Each embedding — a way of associating each point on the sphere to a point within the flag variety — can be defined by a polynomial equation.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sabini built his bike from scratch there while bonding with his close friends.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Linh Mai has also been bonding with her mother and members of their herd.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Like Flores and Natal, Kaik found that the company, York Service & Towing, would only take cash, telling her that sometimes, people would pay with a credit card then cancel the card before payment went through.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Shortly after telling her to contact security, Alvarez arrived upstairs.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With Philadelphia applying pressure, Winn shattered Trea Turner’s bat to induce a 5-4-3 double play, recording the first two outs of the inning.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
If bitten by a rattlesnake, victims should stay calm, limit movement, call 911 and seek emergency medical attention, avoiding myths such as sucking out the venom or applying ice.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
First, fiscal responsibility means protecting taxpayer dollars by funding core priorities Idahoans rely on, such as Infrastructure, public safety and education, while identifying waste, improving efficiency, and reducing the tax burden whenever possible.—
Mark Dee
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
-
The problem is magnified when Hezbollah launches multiple drones at once, potentially overwhelming a system that’s not fully up to the task of identifying the incoming drones.—
Charbel Mallo,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relating. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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