RELATING Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

relating

verb

present participle of relate

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

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

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

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

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 relating Relationship science draws a useful line here between two ways of relating. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Presenting one idea, and then relating it back to something political. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 July 2026 Its symbols represent a mathematical formula relating the time periods of celestial bodies’ motions in the sky. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 13 July 2026 By researching Seth, Jacob is trying to recapture or devise a purer form of relating. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 So, remember, by finding weeds, noting their location, relating them to a condition, and choosing corrective actions based on that condition, gardeners can begin to form maintenance diagnoses for their gardens through weeds. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026 The young players seem to like how Harbaugh is teaching and relating, too. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026 Some of them are old systems of knowledge, ways of relating the body to fertility, death, and survival. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026 The Pisces new moon creates opportunities for fulfillment through relating. — Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relating

Verb

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.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2026
But the main event was Madonna communing with the nearly 3,000 fans at the premiere, most of whom have followed her for decades.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 June 2026

Definition of communing

Verb

The county has declined to release records pertaining to Moody’s case, despite releasing similar records in the past.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026
As of late afternoon Friday, there were 10 different holds and objections to the bill being expedited for a vote, with an additional eight holds pertaining to the PCSA on its own.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of pertaining

Verb

On the one hand, associating Russia with the Eurasian steppe is a political move.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
His sensitive book-hound son Emiliano (Lorenzo Urso) is Giuliano’s best friend, but Sebastiano forbids him from associating with the Arca family.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of associating

Verb

The Spurs have been growing their presence in Paris over the past year, with the team joining Wembanyama in France earlier this month for a series of public appearances and team-bonding events.

— Jared Weiss, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, there’s a chance Indy is bonding with all the drama around this team, from Sophie Cunningham getting clotheslined to her public commentary about transgender people playing women's sports, and anything involving Clark.

— Geoff Clark OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of bonding

Verb

Florian Maurice, the former Rennes technical director, is telling a story about Jeremy Jacquet and how the Frenchman was destined for the top.

— Gregg Evans, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Or, at least, for the first time since the start of the war, some analysts on Wall Street might at least be willing to consider that the administration may be telling the truth about the state of the oil market.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of telling

Verb

The exemption would be phased in beginning next January, initially applying to vehicles built before 1981 and expanding by one model year for five years.

— Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
One counterargument to the policy of applying economic pressure is that the US has been sanctioning Iran, like a handful of other nations, for decades without sparking meaningful political change.

— Magdalena Del Valle, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of applying

Verb

His three-step approach begins by defining the long-term goal and identifying the 90-day milestones that move the organization toward it.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Still, a number of Western states don't have statewide wildfire rules and codes, or even maps identifying high risk areas.

— Lauren Sommer, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026