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
To be deductible, a meal must be directly related to business, meaning there must be a clear link between the meal and a business activity or purpose.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Authorities then arrested the suspect, who is expected to face charges related to felony pursuit, domestic violence and being a parolee at large, Gamble said.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
Read More: Where Things Stand With the Epstein Files Following Musk's Allegation Against Trump
Musk’s original posts came as Trump also lobbed insults and threatened to take away government funding and contracts related to billionaire Musk’s Space X company.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 7 June 2025
This means the records relating to Trigg's death will not be released while the case is litigated in court.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for relate to
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Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Authorities then arrested the suspect, who is expected to face charges related to felony pursuit, domestic violence and being a parolee at large, Gamble said.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
Read More: Where Things Stand With the Epstein Files Following Musk's Allegation Against Trump
Musk’s original posts came as Trump also lobbed insults and threatened to take away government funding and contracts related to billionaire Musk’s Space X company.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 7 June 2025
This means the records relating to Trigg's death will not be released while the case is litigated in court.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 7 June 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 10 Jun. 2025.
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