This is the 2550th most frequent Russian word.
связывают
"Связывают" means "they link," "they connect," or "they tie" in English.
In this sentence, 'связывают' means 'associate' or 'link' in the context of connecting concepts or events.
Люди связывают это событие с праздником.
People associate this event with the holiday.
Here, 'связывают' is used to denote the physical action of connecting or joining together two sides.
Мост связывают с другого берега реки.
The bridge is being connected from the other side of the river.
In this usage, 'связывают' refers to the act of tying or binding objects together.