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 toThe exam questions are directly related to the readings.
Examples of relate to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The outage was related to a fire and wires down in the area of West Baltimore & Annapolis Road and Park 100 Drive just south of the airport, according to a Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. spokesperson.
—
Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
After a year of working almost entirely on contracts related to Lear’s series, Padnick was recruited by Horn to serve as head of business affairs at Tandem Production as its in-house legal counsel.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025
The Academy banned Smith after the slap from attending any event related to the organization for 10 years, including the Oscars.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 3 Mar. 2025
It can also be used to treat insomnia that’s related to anxiety or temporary stressors.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relate to
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Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
After a year of working almost entirely on contracts related to Lear’s series, Padnick was recruited by Horn to serve as head of business affairs at Tandem Production as its in-house legal counsel.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025
The Academy banned Smith after the slap from attending any event related to the organization for 10 years, including the Oscars.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 3 Mar. 2025
It can also be used to treat insomnia that’s related to anxiety or temporary stressors.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relate to
Cite this Entry
“Relate to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relate%20to. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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