associate oneself with

associate with

1. To have a relationship with someone. In this usage, a reflexive pronoun can be used between "associate" and "with." I don't associate with criminals like him. I think he's happy to associate himself with successful people like us.
2. To connect various people or things in one's mind, usually for a specific reason that is unique to that person. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "associate" and "with." I associate the smell of cinnamon with Christmas because of the cookies my mother used to bake every year. He always associates Liz with me because he met us at the same time.
See also: associate
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

associate oneself with someone or something

to join someone or something as a partner or friend. I wanted to associate myself with a prestigious law firm. She associated herself with people of low repute.
See also: associate
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • associate
  • associate with
  • not do (someone or oneself) any favors
  • identify with
  • hitch (one's) horses together
  • hitch horses together
  • buy (yourself) time
  • buy time
  • orient
  • orient to (something)
References in periodicals archive
There is also a need to associate oneself with causes and activities within the larger community, especially for multinationals.
Staying relevant
* First, avoid hiring people "just like you." It is a natural human tendency to associate oneself with others of similar background.
Smart hiring: tips for avoiding potential legal perils and costly mistakes
The author informs us that the desire to disassociate oneself from defeat and to associate oneself with victory always exerts a powerful force on the flow of words and phrases from one language to another.
Gloria Italiano. Parole A buon rendere: ovvero l'invasione dei termini anglo-italiani