as in depending
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
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Recent Examples of relying
The poor design of that route was a key factor in the crash along with air traffic controllers relying too much on pilots seeing and avoiding other aircraft.
—
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Governments must also implement fiscal reforms to reduce deficits and avoid relying on money creation to finance spending.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
The perils of relying on probability In the United States, flood risk is publicly defined by maps produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
—Dominic Boyer, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
The Oscar-winning actress lost 100 pounds between roughly 2017 and 2024 — without a celebrity trainer, without a trendy diet and without relying on medication to do the heavy lifting.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
OpenAI claimed in its memo to the House Select Committee on China that DeepSeek was relying on distillation to develop a new version of its breakthrough chatbot.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Pattinson manages to convey Charlie’s unease without relying on any such crude touches, but the movie abounds in them.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
But access remains a major hurdle — especially for patients relying on Medicaid.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Potential is high for North Attleboro, relying on ace Bryce Silva, Ethan Belanger (OF), Nick Torres (C) and sophomore Jimmy Charette (SS).
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Governments must also implement fiscal reforms to reduce deficits and avoid relying on money creation to finance spending.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
The perils of relying on probability In the United States, flood risk is publicly defined by maps produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
—Dominic Boyer, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
The Oscar-winning actress lost 100 pounds between roughly 2017 and 2024 — without a celebrity trainer, without a trendy diet and without relying on medication to do the heavy lifting.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
OpenAI claimed in its memo to the House Select Committee on China that DeepSeek was relying on distillation to develop a new version of its breakthrough chatbot.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Pattinson manages to convey Charlie’s unease without relying on any such crude touches, but the movie abounds in them.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
But access remains a major hurdle — especially for patients relying on Medicaid.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Potential is high for North Attleboro, relying on ace Bryce Silva, Ethan Belanger (OF), Nick Torres (C) and sophomore Jimmy Charette (SS).
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relying
Verb
-
For deeper cleaning, a power wash on the porch floor, steps and siding can deliver an instant refresh — but proceed with caution depending on your surfaces.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This design lets the system scale up or down depending on mission requirements.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The instructors at the Atomic Ballroom, based in Costa Mesa, led the dance record effort, giving a step-by-step instruction to those who showed up, the Guinness World Record adjudicator counting the crowd.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Since 2022, the teams have split 28 games, counting the playoffs.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While winemakers are leaning into narratives and experiences to attract this sizeable demographic, real estate developers are using wine to court high-income members of the generation.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The Coastal Commission decision gave political cover to lawmakers in liberal-leaning communities to approve the bill that will speed up home construction by exempting most projects from deep environmental review.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relying. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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