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

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Ford is not aware of any reports of accidents or injuries related to the recall, according to the report. —

James Powel, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025 Scott County Sheriff Luke Hennen, along with the jail’s command staff and other officials were in front of the Scott County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 16 to provide an update on its progress related to the study’s recommendations. —

Alex Malm, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Unions have filed suits related to DOGE on behalf of federal workers. —

Simon Shuster, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025 There were 10 orders related to immigration in all. —

Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 7 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for relate to