associate back to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "associate back to" is not standard in written English and may cause confusion.
It could be used in contexts where you want to refer back to a previous association or connection, but it is better to use more conventional phrases. Example: "In our discussion, we need to associate back to the initial findings from the last report."

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Anyhow, the point of this is that my kids all became huge Cherry Coke fans which I know that will always associate back to this vacation and that makes me smile. 5. COMPETITION GALORE I'm just going to be honest.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

RRM domains 3 and 4 of PTB associate back-to-back and bind the RNA in opposite orientations, with a preference for at least 15 nucleotides between them (Oberstrass et al, 2005; Lamichhane et al, 2010).

EMBO Journal

He added, "We don't force associates back to work before they believe they're ready".

The New York Times

Most important, we welcome our associates back to work, where together, we will continue to work hard to exceed our customers' expectations".

The Guardian - Business

The Beechcraft King Air 200 Catpass was one of three planes carrying the Oklahoma State men's basketball team and associates back to Stillwater, Okla., after it lost to the Colorado Buffaloes in a Big 12 Conference game at Boulder, Colo.

The New York Times

And of course you might want to, as Slowe put it, "think about whether there's anything on your Reddit account that you wouldn't want associated back to that address".

TechCrunch

Gene ontology terms and NCBI COGs (Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins) associated to each Arabidopsis gene were downloaded from TAIR (www.arabidopsis.org) and NCBI (ftp://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/pub/COG/KOG/), and associated back to the original Q. suber transcript.

BMC Plant Biology

If these biospecimen are anonymized, individual research results from genomic research, which should be offered to patients in a clinically relevant timeframe, cannot be associated back to the individual.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

In a second TV commercial, a customer and a True Value associate, facing back to back, speak in low tones, as if they are spies exchanging secrets.

The New York Times

The film (directed by James McTeigue, a Wachowski associate) harks back to the 1930s, when Warner Brothers, the studio that made it, was known for this kind of revolutionary pop art.

The Economist

That's probably because we associate going back to school with crunching leaves underfoot and bundling up in cozy sweaters, even when the temperatures are still in the 70s and the trees still green and full.

The New York Times - Food

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, consider using stronger and more common alternatives like "refer back to" or "connect back to" instead of "associate back to".

Common error

Avoid using "associate back to" excessively in formal or academic writing. While understandable, it can sound less professional than alternatives such as "refer" or "attribute".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "associate back to" functions as a phrasal verb indicating a connection or relationship to a prior event, idea, or source. While understandable, Ludwig AI suggests that it is not the most common or preferred phrasing.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "associate back to" is a phrasal verb used to connect something with a previous event or idea. While understandable, Ludwig AI reports it is not the most common phrasing. More common alternatives include "refer back to" or "connect back to". Its usage spans various contexts, including news, science, and formal writing, though it may be less preferable in highly formal settings. When aiming for clarity and precision, opting for the stronger alternatives is recommended. The phrase is acceptable but not the most common choice among expert writers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

refer back to

Highlights the action of consulting a previous piece of information.

link back to

Emphasizes a direct connection or reference to an earlier point.

connect back to

Highlights the act of re-establishing a connection.

relate back to

Focuses on establishing a relationship with a prior event or idea.

tie back to

Emphasizes a strong connection that binds two things together.

trace back to

Suggests discovering the origin or source of something.

map back to

Suggests a one-to-one relation to initial states

attribute back to

Implies assigning a characteristic or quality to a previous cause or origin.

ascribe back to

Focuses on assigning something as belonging to an earlier time

hark back to

Suggests a resemblance or similarity to something in the past.

FAQs

What does "associate back to" mean?

The phrase "associate back to" means to connect something with a past event, idea, or source. It suggests a relationship or link to something that has occurred or existed previously.

What can I say instead of "associate back to"?

You can use alternatives like "refer back to", "connect back to", or "relate back to" depending on the context.

Is "associate back to" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "associate back to" is not the most standard phrasing. It is more common and grammatically sound to use alternatives like "refer back to" or "connect to".

How can I use "associate back to" in a sentence?

You can use "associate back to" in sentences where you want to link a current topic with a previous one. For example: "We can "associate back to" the initial findings from the last report to understand the current results better."