RELY Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

rely

verb

ri-ˈlī

Definition of rely

as in to depend

to place reliance or trust rigorously tested the rope before starting out, for the rock climbers would be relying on it with their very lives

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of rely Aligning the machines to shift toward existing norms is already a moral and philosophical decision, one that relies on all sorts of conditional definitions. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2026 Overtime boosts the Sheriff’s Office budget Like most large county agencies, the Sheriff’s Office relies on overtime. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026 Current methods typically rely on gene-delivery systems that are not ideal for widespread human use. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026 Tampa Bay’s lineup can come across as top-heavy, relying too much on the front half for its production. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rely

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rely

Verb

The gap in temperature can feel even more pronounced depending on whether the playing surface is grass or artificial turf.

— Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Free markets depend on buyers and sellers being able to find one another and competitors having a fair opportunity to compete.

— Tomas J. Philipson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of depend

Verb

Broad rivers formed by the gentle joining of their tributaries, too numerous to count.

— Supriya Lopez Pillai, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
This also includes edges of the first type, however, meaning any edges that directly connect two boundary points to each other must, of course, be subtracted to avoid counting them twice.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026