RELATES Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

relates

verb

present tense third-person singular of relate

as in communes

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in describes

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

as in pertains

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

as in associates

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

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 relates Some of the bill’s language relates directly to e-bikes, specifically to those making and selling the devices, while other sections of the bill address speeds for everyone using bike paths, multiuse trails and sidewalks. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 1 Sep. 2026 That same prose, as rendered by Searls, is evident once again in the new book as the novel’s narrator relates how he was drawn to this mysterious outpost and how the place seems to be conspiring against his leaving there. — Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Each and every item relates in some way to the novel’s storyline, yet miraculously, many of the objects were sourced before the book was even written. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026 The Bible relates the remarkable transformation of Saul of Tarsus – at one time a violent persecutor of Christians – who became a powerful teacher-by-example of love and peace. — Margaret Rogers, Christian Science Monitor, 29 July 2026 This formula relates directly to the cash generation that is available to be paid to the company’s shareholders and debtholders. — Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Eisman relates that Elon Musk plans to make money from ventures that only exit in the fictional world. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 June 2026 But by then, Rockmount’s shirts were iconic, Weil relates in his third book about Western apparel and Rockmount. — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 8 June 2026 Silence = Death, the work of the Silence = Death Collective (and not ACT UP, as Avram Finkelstein relates in his interview) became the primary pictorial representation of ACT UP and a rallying slogan for the fight against the disease. — Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relates

Verb

The mop-haired actor plays Joey, a spunky boy onboard who bonds with Maddie over having absent parents in the military.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Nigel Starck, too, argues that obituaries provide a glue that bonds society not in grief but in an aspirational reevaluation of our own lives.

— Sam Roberts, Longreads, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of bonds

Verb

The company describes the effort as part of a broader push to increase the pace of hypersonic testing.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Sandoval plays the Babaylan, a traditional Malay healer who Diaz describes as a lasting bridge between Filipinos and their pre-Hispanic, pre-Islamic Malay heritage.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of describes

Verb

What being Southern meant to his father—and the values Duane associates with being a Southern gentleman.

— Sid Evans, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026
The productivity boom everyone associates with the personal computer didn’t actually show up in the macro data until 15 years after the PC was commercialized.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 July 2026

Definition of associates

Verb

This also applies to a free-agent acquisition like free-agent winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who (incredibly) remains a free agent at this time.

— Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Judge Louis will consider whether the treaty applies to the case and determine if the evidence establishes probable cause.

— Bill Chappell, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of applies

Verb

One of the sources said the GSA put out a public request for lease proposals that identifies 18 potential locations, requiring space for at least 10 courtrooms.

— Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
SheThePeople similarly identifies homemade bread baking as one of the slow-paced, hands-on hobbies gaining attention among Gen Z.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of identifies

Verb

In her 2015 memoir, Steinem recounts her dynamic, nomadic career as a writer and activist, and pays vivid homage to the people, places, and conversations that shaped her.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Getting the shopping done has become a nightmare for Volodymyr Bovsunovskyi, who recounts a recent family trip to a mall to buy clothes for his nearly 4-year-old daughter.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026