relate

1
as in to bond
to form a close personal relationship she and I relate so well it's almost like we're siblings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
as in to pertain
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 to associate
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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb relate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of relate are associate, combine, connect, join, link, and unite. While all these words mean "to bring or come together into some manner of union," relate suggests the existence of a real or presumed logical connection.

related what he observed to what he already knew

When can associate be used instead of relate?

The synonyms associate and relate are sometimes interchangeable, but associate stresses the mere fact of frequent occurrence or existence together in space or in logical relation.

opera is popularly associated with high society

When is combine a more appropriate choice than relate?

In some situations, the words combine and relate are roughly equivalent. However, combine implies some merging or mingling with corresponding loss of identity of each unit.

combined jazz and rock to create a new music

When could connect be used to replace relate?

Although the words connect and relate have much in common, connect suggests a loose or external attachment with little or no loss of identity.

a mutual defense treaty connected the two nations

When is it sensible to use join instead of relate?

While in some cases nearly identical to relate, join implies a bringing into contact or conjunction of any degree of closeness.

joined forces in an effort to win

When might link be a better fit than relate?

The words link and relate can be used in similar contexts, but link may imply strong connection or inseparability of elements still retaining identity.

a name forever linked with liberty

When would unite be a good substitute for relate?

The words unite and relate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unite implies somewhat greater loss of separate identity.

the colonies united to form a republic

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of relate It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025 That’s almost exactly what happened, though part of it was injury-related. Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025 Columbia University recently confirmed a major cyberattack that compromised personal, financial and health-related information tied to students, applicants and employees. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Officials on Saturday were trying to determine if the incidents were related. Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relate
Verb
  • The comedic Hulu murder-mystery series follows neighbors Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez), who bond over their love for true crime and launch a podcast detailing all the murder investigations in their ritzy New York City building.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The two 10GbE ports can be bonded using link aggregation which means a NAS device could be accessed at speeds up to 20Gb/s, all from a laptop with a Thunderbolt 5 port.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But the shift may be broader, as newsrooms both describe a cultural shift and, at least in some cases, embody it.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The panel studying those cases released a report last year describing how the state child welfare agency missed warning signs and failed to protect dozens of children from dying of the illicit drug.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Therapists going the route of AI usage will need to be mindful of the latest laws and regulations pertaining to AI usage.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • There is more to follow, all of which pertains to the film’s title and is rather laborious to discuss in a review without spoilers.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Of course, with a luxury experience also comes a luxurious price tag and the cost of tickets won’t be the kind of budget fares people most associate with bus travel.
    Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Consuming 400 grams of dairy daily was associated with a 2% increase in risk.
    Merve Ceylan, Health, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Harkawik Barbour seems to commune with color itself.
    Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • People were going out to commune and be around other people.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In recent months, tariffs modestly contributed to the uptick in overall inflation, analysts previously told ABC News, but overall price increases owed largely to a rise in housing and food products with little connection to Trump’s levies.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Kaivan Shroff, a 2024 delegate for Harris, said the former vice president has the right to tell the story of her campaign, as does Biden, who has conducted a few interviews and speeches since leaving office.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With this certification program, employees can take short learning breaks and access ready-to-apply AI content on demand, instantly increasing their AI acumen.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The other end of the spectrum are breaks that happen when a single application of force is applied to the bone.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That refers to the time in mid-July 2024 when state officials including Johnson and Laidlaw identified the site at 6310 Arkansas 215 south, about 8 miles north of Charleston, as a potential location for the new prison and July 31, 2024, when the state signed a contingency on the property.
    Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2025
  • At the scene, a member of the Toronto Police who identified himself as Officer Kim repeatedly prevented EW from approaching the woman for comment.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relate. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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