RELATING Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

relating

verb

present participle of relate

as in communing

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 describing

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 pertaining

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 associating

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 relating The incentive would allow a 35% to 50% credit on qualified expenses relating specifically to post-production in California. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Relationship science draws a useful line here between two ways of relating. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Presenting one idea, and then relating it back to something political. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 July 2026 Its symbols represent a mathematical formula relating the time periods of celestial bodies’ motions in the sky. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 13 July 2026 By researching Seth, Jacob is trying to recapture or devise a purer form of relating. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 So, remember, by finding weeds, noting their location, relating them to a condition, and choosing corrective actions based on that condition, gardeners can begin to form maintenance diagnoses for their gardens through weeds. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026 The young players seem to like how Harbaugh is teaching and relating, too. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026 Some of them are old systems of knowledge, ways of relating the body to fertility, death, and survival. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relating

Verb

Trotz believes these hues are never going away because people always want to be communing with nature.

— Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 6 Sep. 2026
Even so, in a digital world increasingly impacted by algorithms and all manner of AI, the allure of performers and music fans communing — live and in real time — cannot be underestimated.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2026

Definition of communing

Verb

Gilroy provided a detailed backstory for the fictional film, describing a young widow, a wealthy East Coast summer setting and a boy preparing to go to war.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
In 2019, Bolsonaro co-sponsored a bill that would have ended that requirement, describing it as an obstacle to development.

— Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of describing

Verb

Anyone with any relevant information pertaining to the incident is asked to contact the Bloomfield Police Department.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
In the days leading to Ed Sheeran’s Atlanta concert, his second since the Big Controversy, questions about everything but his music prevailed over those pertaining to it.

— DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of pertaining

Verb

Critics condemned Clark for associating with Wallen, who was recorded using a racial slur in 2021 and later apologized.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
King’s reaction, and the way the media was reporting on the verdict, revealed an unseemly form of racial stereotyping, associating a particular moral or legal position with being Black.

— Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of associating

Verb

The Salem witch trials of 1692 carved out an enduring and powerful niche in American history for this little town, and this intimate, kitschy museum does an excellent job telling the story.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of telling

Verb

The team is currently applying this approach to devices installed across wall panels or doors to harvest ambient temperature differences.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
British police acknowledged applying for the warrants under the wrong statutory provision, the judge said while stipulating that the misconduct investigation against the king's brother could continue.

— Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of applying

Verb

These Chargers have 13 games left, and identifying potential wins on the remaining schedule is a nearly impossible task.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Research has documented multiple barriers to physical activity for autistic children and young people, while also identifying knowledgeable coaches, appropriate support and inclusive programs as important facilitators of participation.

— Irma Davarashvili, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026