The term 'EMPATHIZES' can be summarized by the crossword solution 'GROKS, ' which is a five-letter word. Grok is a slang term that means to understand something intuitively or instinctively, often without being able to explain why. It was popularized by Robert A. Heinlein in his 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. Therefore, empathizing with someone can be described as grokking them, or understanding them on a deep level.