Synonyms

connect

American

[kuh-nekt] / kəˈnɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to join, link, or fasten together; unite or bind.

to connect the two cities by a bridge; Communication satellites connect the local stations into a network.

Antonyms:

sunder, divide
to establish communication between; put in communication.

Operator, will you please connect me with Mr. Jones?
to have as an accompanying or associated feature.

pleasures connected with music.
to cause to be associated, as in a personal or business relationship.

to connect oneself with a group of like-minded persons; Our bank is connected with major foreign banks.

Antonyms:

dissociate
to associate mentally or emotionally.

She connects all telegrams with bad news.
to link to an electrical or communications system; hook up.

to connect a telephone.

verb (used without object)

to become connected; join or unite.

These two parts connect at the sides.
(of trains, buses, etc.) to run so as to make connections (often followed bywith ).

This bus connects with a northbound bus.
Informal. to have or establish successful communication; make contact.

I connected with two new clients today.
Informal. to relate to or be in harmony with another person, one's work, etc..

We knew each other well but never connected.
Slang. (of a drug dealer or user) to make direct contact for the illegal sale or purchase of drugs, as narcotics.
Sports. to hit successfully or solidly.

The batter connected for a home run. The boxer connected with a right.

adjective

of or relating to a connection or connections.

connect charges for a new cable television channel.

connect British

/ kəˈnɛkt /

verb

to link or be linked together; join; fasten
(tr) to relate or associate

I connect him with my childhood
(tr) to establish telephone communications with or between
(intr) to be meaningful or meaningfully related
(intr) (of two public vehicles, such as trains or buses) to have the arrival of one timed to occur just before the departure of the other, for the convenient transfer of passengers
informal (intr) to hit, punch, kick, etc, solidly
informal (intr) to be successful
slang (intr) to find a source of drugs, esp illegal drugs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What are other ways to say connect?

To connect is to link or fasten together, as two cities by a bridge. How is connect different from join and unite? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of connect

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin connectere, equivalent to con- “with, together” + nectere “to tie”; see con-, nexus

Explanation

Connect means to join together. When a puzzle piece fits into another, they connect. You might fly to Chicago and then connect to a flight to LA. When you meet someone and feel comfortable with them right away, you connect. The uses of connect continue. A receptionist connects you to the person you want to speak to on the phone. When you are assembling something, you are often told to connect tab A to slot B. When you punch someone, your fist connects with their face. You might not connect a movie with a historical event until your teacher points it out.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing connect

The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3

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com-, con-

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

connect connects connected connecting

Fitzsimmons was an early entrant to predictions, serving as a futures commission merchant, or intermediary, for traders looking to connect to bigger exchanges such as CME Group and Crypto.com, which offer the trades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Andrew Steinwold, managing partner at investment firm Sfermion, believes Muse’s customizable avatar is an effective way to encourage adoption and help users connect with the product.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

When the researchers applied Orion to all five conditions, they found that genetic changes that initially looked largely unrelated could connect to the same regulatory networks.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

"Christian's in our leadership group because of his capacity to be able to connect with people. He's a really good person."

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

If flagged notes are next to each other, their flags can be replaced by beams that connect the notes into easy-to-read groups.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Journalist Reitman connects lives of nine Americans over three decades, vividly showing how ideals can give way to fear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Meanwhile in the US, Arizona State University say its similar qualification allows students to "turn your creativity into content that connects with audiences".

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

It has also rejected comparisons to the prosperity gospel, the Christian theological movement that connects faith with material or financial rewards.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

“The chef’s kitchen with eat-in dining nook and wood-burning fireplace connects to a cozy family room and IPE-clad terrace overlooking a tranquil reflection pond,” the listing notes.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

“Why should she remember that? She doesn’t connect me with Maxim. She only connects him with Rebecca.”

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

A neighbor took a photo of her bookshelf, connected Google Sheets to Muse and asked it to add each title to the sheet’s book list.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Usually the younger celebs in the castle tend to know fewer people, but Bella Ramsey is pretty well connected.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Finally, in the fourth quarter, Skinner connected with speedster Emmanuel Pullins for a 44-yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead before his interception return.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

These included genes connected to immune regulation, inflammatory signaling and mitochondrial energy production.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Some said it was a fluke—a tragedy, yes, but connected to nothing else.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

The route connecting the United Arab Emirates and Israel is one of the world’s most sensitive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Traffic built up due to the complete closure to all vehicles going in both directions on the Southern Bridge, one of eight bridges connecting the east and west of Kyiv over the Dnipro river.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

He's always calm, a calming and connecting influence.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

It’s genuinely connecting to the audience, being in that space, and playing to the moment, telling your story as if you’ve never said it before, and allowing people to really experience the best of you.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

I watched people looking at one another, their eyes busy with memories, connecting because of my movie.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023