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

According to a 2024 YouGov survey around 38% of travelers rely on word of mouth or family recommendations when planning for travel—down from about 55% previously. —Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Buyers now rely on non-QM loans to buy condos in Florida, and the rates and terms are worse. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025

Stellantis will continue to rely on AWS, the companies said, and Alexa will also still be available in some Stellantis vehicles. —Nora Eckert, USA Today, 29 May 2025

With that type of schedule, no longer could Iowa rely on just defense and special teams. —Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 29 May 2025