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

As a result, these individuals have no choice but to rely on informal lenders, who are often not transparent with their terms and can exacerbate financial insecurity. —Murtaza Ali, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

The arrests outside Home Depot targeted day laborers hired by the chain’s customers, including homeowners and contractors who rely on undocumented workers for home repair and construction jobs. —Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025

In Florida alone, more than 4 million residents rely on them to purchase insurance. —Brewster Bevis, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2025

At the same time, lawmakers are being hounded by businesses in states across the nation who rely on the green energy tax breaks for their projects. —Arkansas Online, 8 June 2025