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
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
The Humane Society of Huron Valley made that announcement on Friday, relating the story of Sugar the kitten and the animal abuse investigation reported in fall of 2024 in Ypsilanti.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025
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
The Humane Society of Huron Valley made that announcement on Friday, relating the story of Sugar the kitten and the animal abuse investigation reported in fall of 2024 in Ypsilanti.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 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
-
Nearby, speakers took turns describing a conflict that has stretched across presidencies with little sign of easing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
But other writers soon adapted the legend of Atlantis, describing the island as a technologically and ethically advanced society offering a blueprint for real nations.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2024, SpaceX filed a federal lawsuit arguing the NLRB's structure violated the Constitution and that the agency should not be allowed to take enforcement action pertaining to worker complaints of unfair treatment by employers.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Details pertaining to the suspect or their vehicle are yet to be released.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 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
-
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
-
The two singers recalled their own girlhoods, bonding over growing up as tomboys during a time when it was stigmatized to prefer sports over dolls.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Logan and Hailey hit it off on their first date after bonding over their mutual love of cheesecake.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What Sam Hoffman built there became the city of Thornton — and a free public exhibit is now telling that story for the first time in a generation.—
Anna Alejo,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But the sharper books are telling a slightly different story.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As of now, Imam has no plans to create a think tank or a second campus, even though those had seemed like good ideas when applying for the grant.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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In a separate but related order issued the same day, the court granted Lara’s motion to exceed the $1 million statutory cap on damages under Colorado’s Health Care Availability Act, finding that applying the cap would be unfair under the circumstances.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Similarly, corruption or physical damage might destroy a file’s header, which contains its identifying metadata, while leaving other parts of it untouched.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The company says the federal government is responsible for identifying which carriers are safe and cracking down on those that are not.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relating. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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