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

Put differently, crypto reduces the need to rely on those third parties, the same ones that the government has co-opted to enhance law enforcement’s ability to catch criminals. —Norbert Michel, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

And per a fact sheet prepared by representatives who opposed this legislation in the Appropriations Committee, rural stations—which tend to rely on federal funding for at least 25% of their revenue—will be hit the hardest. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025

For now, some unlucky beachgoers will have to rely on home remedies and, in the case of Massachusetts resident Kathy Malloy-Harder’s third-grade nephew, a little bravery. —Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2025

And for me, this album has nothing else to rely on, but the quality of the thought, the songwriting. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025