1
as in anchor
something or someone to which one looks for support he's been the family's foremost reliance in times of trouble many times

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in dependency
the quality or state of needing something or someone a baby's reliance on her parents his reliance on his next-door neighbor for all the local gossip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reliance Such a shift in China’s economy would encourage domestic production and innovation and accelerate efforts to reduce reliance on foreign markets. Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025 To address this, federal authorities are implementing fiber optic improvements and developing a new radar center in Philadelphia to reduce the reliance on New York's outdated infrastructure. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025 With a reliance on EA’s intellectual property—namely data and images extracted from the popular Ultimate Team mode—Futbin and its peers were once seen as a nuisance at Redwood City, Calif., headquarters. Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 19 May 2025 Carpenter criticized the Sheriff Department’s reliance on mobile ranges to save on cost. Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for reliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reliance
Noun
  • Still in the early stages of their respective careers, Mitchell and DeJean have the potential to be anchors for the Eagles' defense long-term.
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • Still, seeing an animal that size in a place where people typically kayak, swim, and anchor boats is enough to give anyone pause.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Non-Maintainable Systems Lack of clean code structure, high entropy in the codebase, absence of modularity, dependency chaos, difficult debugging and lack of documentation can occur when applying vibe coding without a core engineering mindset.
    Naresh Prajapati, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • Though there’s a conversation about reducing the industry’s dependency on fossil fuels, Simon Giuliani, Candiani Denim’s global marketing director, said one challenge as a producer and manufacturer is investing in new technology that brands may or may not adopt.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Trump will invoke the Defense Production Act to declare a national emergency due to U.S. dependence on Russia and China for enriched uranium, nuclear fuel processing and inputs for advance reactors, according to a draft summary viewed by Reuters.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 23 May 2025
  • Four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the forthcoming orders aim to simplify the regulatory process for approving new nuclear reactors and to strengthen nuclear fuel supply chains amid mounting concerns over U.S. dependence on foreign suppliers.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • But the right one serves as your operational backbone.
    Kristin Russel, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • Maintain the goaltending edge Sergei Bobrovsky has been the backbone for this Florida team all playoffs.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • While education and health have long been pillars of their work, sustainability is a newer, but increasingly vital, focus for the Foundation.
    Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • Durability and dominance are the twin pillars of pitching greatness.
    Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • Dejan Kulusevski, who underwent knee surgery last week, dancing around as fast as his crutches and bulky brace would allow.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • But then all of those things became crutches and started really infiltrating his presidency in a serious way to the point that even cabinet meetings, even after the cameras left, were highly scripted.
    Terry Gross, NPR, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reliance. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.

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