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
as in to describe
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 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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of relate
Steve Irwin, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, would not say whether all of the children are siblings or how they were related.
—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
The goal is to give fans a single, easy-to-update destination for anything World Cup-related.
—
Ethan M. Stone,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Most of the crew members had sailed together for years, spending as much time on board as at home; several were related.
—
Will Freeman,
New Yorker,
30 June 2026
The justices said in their ruling that the case was not SLAPP-related, as Idaho at the time did not have any anti-SLAPP legislation.
—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relate
Julie Carr Smyth,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
The goal is to give fans a single, easy-to-update destination for anything World Cup-related.
—
Ethan M. Stone,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Most of the crew members had sailed together for years, spending as much time on board as at home; several were related.
—
Will Freeman,
New Yorker,
30 June 2026
The justices said in their ruling that the case was not SLAPP-related, as Idaho at the time did not have any anti-SLAPP legislation.
—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relate
Verb
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Russert and Sanders Townsend have bonded over losing their fathers.
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Mohammed and Artigas had bonded out of Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Verb
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Tribes describe the last of three waves of European incursions, nearly 85 years after Serra hung the first Mission bell in San Diego in 1769, as the most brutal.
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Rodríguez described scenes of children hospitalized with amputations and survivors grieving multiple family deaths.
Verb
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Starting next month, the law will prohibit the sale of any food product that isn’t labeled with either phrase — this pertains to products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026.
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Evidence pertaining to the Fire Department’s response was not permitted at the trial.
Verb
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Valentine and Suarez did not respond to letters mailed to addresses that appeared to be associated with them.
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent a letter Tuesday informing Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown of the decision, citing Anthropic’s close coordination and cooperation with government officials to address risks associated with its models.
Verb
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Even so, in a digital world increasingly impacted by algorithms and all manner of AI, the allure of performers and music fans communing — live and in real time — cannot be underestimated.
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Williams views Leap Life—named after his leap-year birthday—as an attempt to commune with the dead, particularly in light of the ongoing devastation in Palestine, Sudan, Haiti, Congo, and Yemen.
Verb
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During Murdaugh’s first status hearing on Monday, June 29, Judge Debra McCaslin did not rule on the DNA evidence, telling defense attorneys to clarify if the sample was viable.
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My parents tell stories about me sleeping through loud construction, alarms, and heavy knocks on my bedroom door.
Verb
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Wiener asked for amendments to the bill during the bill’s review and in the committee meeting, including that the lifetime ban only be applied to Tier 3 members.
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The ruling establishes the legal standard going forward and does not change the law that applied previously.
Verb
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Hiltz competes in women’s events, but identifies as non-binary and transgender, using they/them pronouns.
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Othram has said Idaho State Police Forensic Services, Moscow police and the FBI teamed with the company to help identify Bryan Kohberger as the suspect.
Cite this Entry
“Relate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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