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

Leaders need to set clear expectations about how these tools are used and commit to protecting the people who rely on them. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025

But some rural-state senators have expressed concern that defunding the agency could devastate small public radio and television stations that rely on federal support for as much as 30% of their budgets. —Nik Popli, Time, 15 July 2025

That needs to be addressed by next summer so that South Florida World Cup visitors have an easier time getting to and from games. INTROS, HALFTIME SHOW One of the wonderful things about international soccer is the fan experience does not rely on artificial noise and entertainment. —Miami Herald, 14 July 2025

Louisville residents who rely on federal housing assistance could be at risk of instability if Congress passes massive cuts to national programs, including Section 8, as proposed by the Trump administration. —Lillian Metzmeier, The Courier-Journal, 14 July 2025