RELATES Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

relates

verb

present tense third-person singular of relate

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

as in describes

to give an oral or written account of in some detail we asked our uncle to relate the story of his visit to communist Russia many years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 Most of the funding gap relates specifically to weapons purchases, Zelensky said, and future financing for Ukraine could come in the form of deals for sharing technology and joint drone production. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 And then Mowbray relates some personal evidence of what has not changed — Middlesbrough’s attachment to football. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Musk’s father, Errol Musk, is interviewed in the film and relates a telling incident in which the family drove by the scene of a man who was being resuscitated by the side of the road. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026 Because the girl relates well to you, continue to fill that role. — Abigail Van Buren, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026 Some of the bill’s language relates directly to e-bikes, specifically to those making and selling the devices, while other sections of the bill address speeds for everyone using bike paths, multiuse trails and sidewalks. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Each and every item relates in some way to the novel’s storyline, yet miraculously, many of the objects were sourced before the book was even written. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relates

Verb

Frozen soil that has held buildings, roads and pipelines for decades can start to sink as temperatures rise and the ice that bonds soil particles weakens.

— Ming Xiao, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
Realize that the cement is the glue that bonds the sand and stones in your mix together.

— Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of bonds

Verb

The Marine Corps describes it as a highly mobile and rapidly deployable system intended for sea denial and littoral protection.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Truong describes ground networks as high capacity where people cluster, satellites as wide-area coverage, and the stratospheric layer as a bridge for places that are hard or expensive to serve.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of describes

Verb

The Shiji associates Sun Tzu with Wu’s campaigns against its powerful rival Chu, including the campaign that culminated in the capture of the Chu capital, Ying, in 506 bce.

— Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
What being Southern meant to his father—and the values Duane associates with being a Southern gentleman.

— Sid Evans, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of associates

Verb

The film, billed as a biographical dramedy, tells the story of a chaotic boardroom crisis at OpenAI in November 2023, when co-founder Altman was fired and then re-hired at the AI giant.

— Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Ilya is looking for work as an assistant, and the professor, with his dandyish nerd arrogance, tells him to look at a paper he’s written and come back in a few days.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of tells

Verb

On iPhone, Apple says the Passwords app automatically identifies common weaknesses, including passwords that are easy to guess or used multiple times.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Economic theory identifies clear reasons to expect pressure toward centralization.

— Joao Gomes, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of identifies

Verb

The documentary recounts the history of the original group while heeding its call to action by collaborating with next-gen artists to carry the tradition forward.

— Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Stallone recounts the years leading up to the film’s success, right up to the night of the 1977 Oscars, when Rocky won the award for best picture.

— Monica Coviello, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026