relate to

phrasal verb

related to; relating to; relates to

1

: 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.

2

: 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.

3

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

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

4

: 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

Although technology is a ubiquitous part of this production, the piece has practically nothing to say about it, other than acknowledging its mere existence — technology is related to vanity, and a front-facing selfie camera is like a mirror. —Christian Lewis, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

Tax Refunds The data points in the tax season filing statistics that are seeing upticks are related to tax refunds. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

If the cause of the deficiency is related to medication, like antiseizure medications, your healthcare provider may recommend switching to a different medication not associated with biotin deficiency. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 27 Mar. 2025

This is something Ricky Stenhouse Jr. can relate to. —Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for relate to

• hullabaloo
• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup