rely on/upon

phrasal verb

relied on/upon; relying on/upon; relies on/upon

: to need (someone or something) for support, help, etc. : to depend on (someone or something)

My mother relied on me for financial support.

They rely on a well for all their water.

: to trust or believe (someone or something)

She's someone you can rely on.

I relied heavily upon your advice.

You could always rely on him to disagree.

: to expect (something) with confidence : to be certain that (something) will happen or exist

The economy may improve next year, but it's not something you can rely on.

Examples of rely on/upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Merchan could instead rely on options like probation, home confinement or solely a fine. —

Stefan Becket, CBS News, 31 May 2024 Given how Trump had dodged any real consequences for far worse, predictions of Trump’s downfall may rely on a very misguided understanding of the id of the American electorate. —

Philip Elliott, TIME, 30 May 2024 Impact: Thousands of people rely on Asian Resources annually for help with finding jobs, getting prepared to enter the workforce, learning English or filing taxes after they’re employed, Baloyos said, and these services help to avert homelessness and lift people out of deep poverty. —

Sabrina Bodon, Sacramento Bee, 30 May 2024 Readers should not unduly rely on these forward- looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance. —

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for rely on/upon

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rely on/upon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.