relates

present tense third-person singular of relate
1
as in communes
to form a close personal relationship she and I relate so well it's almost like we're siblings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
as in pertains
to have a relation or connection how does your comment relate to what the rest of us have been talking about for the last hour?

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in associates
to think of (something) in combination most Americans probably relate tea to the United Kingdom and coffee to the U.S.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of relates Holland’s Spider-Man relates more personally to everyone — friends and foes — than any other superhero; his scenes with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Det. Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 The Bible relates the remarkable transformation of Saul of Tarsus – at one time a violent persecutor of Christians – who became a powerful teacher-by-example of love and peace. Margaret Rogers, Christian Science Monitor, 29 July 2026 This formula relates directly to the cash generation that is available to be paid to the company’s shareholders and debtholders. Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Eisman relates that Elon Musk plans to make money from ventures that only exit in the fictional world. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 June 2026 But by then, Rockmount’s shirts were iconic, Weil relates in his third book about Western apparel and Rockmount. Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 8 June 2026 Silence = Death, the work of the Silence = Death Collective (and not ACT UP, as Avram Finkelstein relates in his interview) became the primary pictorial representation of ACT UP and a rallying slogan for the fight against the disease. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 3 June 2026 Jill Biden relates the 2019 primary debate in which Harris got headlines for challenging Biden for his vote four decades earlier on using busing to desegregate schools. Susan Page, USA Today, 30 May 2026 McQuail relates social constructionism’s influences on media studies first to the theories of propaganda and ideology and second to critical theory. Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relates
Verb
  • In the film, Field portrays Tova, the cleaning lady who bonds with the somewhat cranky Marcellus, an octopus wise behind his years, in Netflix’s screen adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 July 2026
  • Once there, Emily bonds with four other counselors — played by Alice Wordsworth, Cherry Moore, Lea Rose Sebastianis and Ella Reece — who begin to explore their witchy reality together.
    William Earl, Variety, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Turkey describes the pact as an important step toward regional stability.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Social isolation describes the number and frequency of a person’s social contacts.
    The Conversation US, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That pertains with or without the presence of breast milk, the TSA specifies.
    Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
  • There are examples of this sort of thing across college athletics, where players try to avoid paying a buyout that pertains to their previous school.
    Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • The productivity boom everyone associates with the personal computer didn’t actually show up in the macro data until 15 years after the PC was commercialized.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 July 2026
  • The two-time Oscar winner, who was born in Concord and grew up in the East Bay, associates that sign with some of his favorite Bay Area childhood memories.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • The film tells the story behind the making of the cult classic starring Sylvester Stallone, which won the Academy Award for best picture in 1977.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Where the Tuition Money Actually Goes Sticker price tells you what a college charges.
    Scott White, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This branch of civil engineering applies the laws of physics and mathematics to design the skeletons of artificial structures.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The same method applies to cameras, Patricolo and McCarty said.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The report identifies 10 jobs that offer six-figure compensation without the intense pressure linked to executive leadership, investment banking or sales.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Citation analysis identifies the domains and exact URLs influencing those answers, helping teams see whether their own pages, publishers or other third-party sources shape the response.
    Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The president also frequently recounts that women — including journalists, Cabinet members and administration officials — used to complain to him about their high heels getting stuck in the mud in the old, grassy Rose Garden.
    Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The president also frequently recounts that hordes of women, including journalists, Cabinet members and administration officials, used to complain to him about their high heels getting stuck in the mud in the old, grassy Rose Garden.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Relates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relates. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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