relates

Definition of relatesnext
present tense third-person singular of relate
1
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
2
3
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

4
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 But the story Sorkin relates is really all about the insiders, their privileged lives, their thoughts and actions. The Know, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026 Meanwhile, the omniscient, just-the-facts-ma’am narration relates the days and times and events with an efficiency that speaks to us of the unstoppable nature of fate. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025 The Fund has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Muyao Shen, Bloomberg, 30 Dec. 2025 Nest New York delivers on the sort of scent profile that relates holiday cheer with pomegranate, mandarin orange, pine, cloves, and cinnamon with a hint of vanilla and amber, and at 25% off. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025 There is a buildup that the president has not explained in a way that relates solely to the actions that are currently going down in the Caribbean and with respect to the drug trade that the president has been discussing with Congress. CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025 As Stephen Greenblatt relates thrillingly in his new biography, Dark Renaissance, Marlowe led a brief and stormy life that deeply transformed the theater. Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025 The mandate relates just to the Sounders and does not include the Seattle Reign, the NWSL team that the Sounders bought last year in a $58 million deal. Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2025 Some of this reporting relates directly to the Fed’s mandates of maximum employment and stable inflation of around 2%. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relates
Verb
  • Jordan describes the relationship between chef and winemaker as a constant dialogue, a feedback loop that ensures every pairing expresses the wine’s architecture, not just its flavor profile.
    Emily Price, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The company describes its approach as a two-step process.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Involuntary Collections Halted For Defaulted Federal Student Loans The Education Department’s announcement last week pertains specifically to involuntary collections efforts against borrowers in default on their federal student loans.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
  • In contrast, Zone Zero pertains to landscaping and what is near or up against the home.
    Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Greene’s heart-to-heart media tour has been jarring liberals and anyone else who associates her with conspiratorial beliefs and outrageous comments.
    Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Everyone associates that with us.
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That would be Jinu, soda-popping demon who steals souls but ultimately bonds with Rumi.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • The film stars Sally Field as a widow who bonds with a giant Pacific octopus, while also connecting with a young man (Lewis Pullman) in need of direction.
    Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Jennette McCurdy tells Sofia Coppola about writing Half His Age.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • After age 30, people lose, on average, 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade, which is an especially risky trajectory for women, Rachele Pojednic, PhD, EdM, FACSM, a nutrition and exercise researcher, and director of education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, tells SELF.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The designation only applies to the sign, not the attached building, which houses Americana Pizza.
    Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The ideal model securely streams biometric data into clinical systems, applies advanced analytics within provider workflows and translates insights into coordinated care delivery across pharmacies, community services and home support.
    Sahar Hashmi, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The poll identifies a significant gap between voter expectations and government performance.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Leatham, a biological male who identifies as a woman, is prone to loud outbursts that disrupt court proceedings and routinely launches into tirades accusing government attorneys of transphobia.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • His memoir Chronicles recounts his mother’s avid response to a Kennedy campaign visit to Hibbing, Minnesota, six months after Dylan left for Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • In the 95-minute performance directed by former Berkeley Rep artistic director Tony Taccone, Ming-Trent recounts his eventful and occasionally tragic childhood that left him exiting a Greyhound bus in New York City’s Port Authority at age 17 with his mind set on becoming an actor.
    Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relates. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on relates

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!