1
as in interaction
relations plural
doings between individuals or groups
relations between the rival newspapers remained friendly despite their competition for the same stories
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in relationship
the fact or state of having something in common
there's no relation between you losing your favorite baseball hat and your team losing the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in partnership
the state of having shared interests or efforts (as in social or business matters)
our intramural baseball team had a relation with the other baseball teams in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sex
relations plural
sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis
a law that prohibits relations between close relatives
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 relation
Former City Comptroller and Democrat congressional candidate Brad Lander was found not guilty by a Manhattan magistrate judge Thursday in relation to his arrest at 26 Federal Plaza.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
Arafan Al-Ghamdi (no relation to Manar) will be glued to the television at his home in Jeddah.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Turner has served in that front-office capacity for a decade, after several other roles since 2008 focusing on player development, alumni outreach and community relations, not to mention preseason work as a 49ers’ television analyst from 1995-2009.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
The coming show at the Met is highly anticipated, and is expected to bring together 120 works by the Krasner and Pollock, placing them in relation to each other and, crucially, on equal footing.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relation
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
Arafan Al-Ghamdi (no relation to Manar) will be glued to the television at his home in Jeddah.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Turner has served in that front-office capacity for a decade, after several other roles since 2008 focusing on player development, alumni outreach and community relations, not to mention preseason work as a 49ers’ television analyst from 1995-2009.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
The coming show at the Met is highly anticipated, and is expected to bring together 120 works by the Krasner and Pollock, placing them in relation to each other and, crucially, on equal footing.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relation
Noun
-
But with this illusion of ease comes a lack of interaction, which is an essential part of forming relationships, according to Eastwick.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
According to court documents, the interaction started in the breeze way of the apartments, where some blood spatter was found, and ended in the parking lot where Bates was found.—
Kendrick Calfee
June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The Altadena boy was fatally shot on a relative’s porch in 2016 when a gunman opened fire on a group, apparently targeting an adult gang member who survived.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
In 1880, while walking to visit relatives in New York, Jacobs was struck and killed by a train near Bradford, Pennsylvania.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Kogonada, who also wrote and edited the film, built the project around Hong Kong’s particular relationship with memory and movement, taking three days to identify a geography the team could navigate largely on foot.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
In fact, their entire relationship has an eerie, performative aura.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
In partnership with Purina and KC2026, there were dogs that people could pet and play with.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
-
Additionally, Astroscale plans to build and launch its Provisioner (or Astroscale Prototype Servicer–Refueler) in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and two directorates of SSC.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The findings, from 1,592 U.S. citizens of different ages, sexes, races and incomes, were collected between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
-
On his first day in office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that declared the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Family members said another 12‑year‑old cousin survived surgery and remains in critical condition.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Princess Kate and Prince William joined other members of the British royal family on June 6 for the wedding of his cousin Peter Phillips to Harriet Sperling.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
But it was never lost on me that there’s a kinship to what Carolyn experienced—a heightened sense of interest in one’s sartorial choices, what color their hair is.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
8 June 2026
-
Insights and kinships emerge almost unbidden—called forth through juxtaposition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Police officers and members of the local hunting association are now patrolling the city and preparing to capture the bear, or bears, on the loose.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
The move is politically controversial due to Armenia’s troubled past with the two powers, but the opposition remained too fractured and scarred by association with past corruption to put up a considerable fight.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relation. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
