relations

noun

plural of relation
1
as in interaction
doings between individuals or groups relations between the rival newspapers remained friendly despite their competition for the same stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sex
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 relations Her return could complicate relations between the Venezuelan opposition, the interim government and Washington. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Tehran residents said neither election is likely to improve relations. — Amir-Hussein Radjy, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Tariffs and American relations with Canada have been top of mind in parts of the district. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 By contrast, recent restrictions or delays suggest a greater emphasis on managing relations with Beijing and avoiding unnecessary escalation. — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Jeff will oversee global communications strategy, publicity, events, talents relations and awards for the streaming platforms. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 Our survival depended on knowing our place within it, and on strong relations with our neighbors. — Amelia Rose Barlow, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026 The waiver also raises questions about Washington’s commitment to Ukraine as relations between the two countries deteriorate. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 17 Oct. 2026 No list of books about Renaissance Venice (and its relations with Jews) would be complete without Brian Pullan’s classic study. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relations
  1. interaction
  2. mating
Noun
  • Instead of relying primarily on inorganic compounds, scientists can investigate how molecular geometry and stronger electronic interactions create useful quantum properties.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Without its own personal assistant, Anthropic might lose those daily interactions to competing products from Meta and OpenAI—even if users might prefer Anthropic’s Claude.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of interaction
Noun
  • The crab digs shallow burrows for mating and molting and frequently maintains several burrows within its territory, the USGS report states.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The gear’s teeth and internal ribs came through clearly, as did the clip’s narrow gate and mating features.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of mating

Phrases Containing relations

Browse Nearby Words

relation
relations
relationship
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relations. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All