relate to

phrasal verb

related to; relating to; relates to

: to connect (something) with (something else)

Few of the people who became sick related their symptoms to the food they'd eaten the day before.

: to understand and like or have sympathy for (someone or something)

I can relate to your feelings.

I've never been able to relate to him very well.

He writes songs that people can really relate to.

—used to describe how someone talks to or behaves toward (someone else)

How a child relates to her teacher can affect her education.

: to be connected with (someone or something) : to be about (someone or something)

The readings relate to the class discussions.

—often used as (be) related to

The exam questions are directly related to the readings.

Examples of relate to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 408-277-4161. —

Jason Green, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024 Elsewhere, they may be tangentially related to the coming battle for Pokrovsk. —

David Axe, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024 An to expand reporting requirements related to climate change risks and emissions drew more comments than any in the commission's history. —

Jeff Young, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024 John Erin Binns, who was arrested in Turkey for an indictment related to a 2021 breach of the telecom T-Mobile, was also indicted on charges related to the Snowflake customer breaches. —

Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for relate to