rely on/upon

phrasal verb

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

1

: 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.

2

: 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.

3

: 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

But others, like the city of San Diego, rely on the authority for as much as 90 percent of their water. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024

Electrons follow the path of least resistance, and utilities inevitably rely on one another to ensure the power stays on. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024

Two of the four charges in the case before the Supreme Court Thursday rely on portions of the same statute at issue in that case. —USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024

Scientists rely on these numbers to determine how bird populations are faring year after year. 7. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024

No matter their manufacturer, nearly all future EVs in America will rely on Tesla. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2024

Unlike races for local offices or even the U.S. House, candidates don’t need to show their deep knowledge of local affairs or rely on long-standing local friendships. —David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 23 Apr. 2024

So don’t rely on bloom alone as an indicator of freshness. —Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appétit, 23 Apr. 2024

Cut off from Western trade, investment, and technology since the start of the war, Moscow has had little choice but to rely on its partners to sustain its hostilities. —Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024