as in to depend
to place reliance or trust
rigorously tested the rope before starting out, for the rock climbers would be relying on it with their very lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 rely
The lock relies on Z-Wave but also needs to be synced to an ADT+ base for this to work.
—
Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 3 May 2025
She’s experienced homelessness and relied on food stamps.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 2 May 2025
Identifying the proper code is essential to calculating the amount an importer must pay in tariffs, but the companies that have relied on de minimis are unlikely to have a process in place for effectively determining—or disseminating—that information.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 May 2025
The inability to rely on more reserves and the energy required to mount a comeback during a warm afternoon might have been too much.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rely
Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 3 May 2025
She’s experienced homelessness and relied on food stamps.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 2 May 2025
Identifying the proper code is essential to calculating the amount an importer must pay in tariffs, but the companies that have relied on de minimis are unlikely to have a process in place for effectively determining—or disseminating—that information.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 May 2025
The inability to rely on more reserves and the energy required to mount a comeback during a warm afternoon might have been too much.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rely
Verb
-
Trump, Biden allies divided over GDP report 'Pandemic-like shortages' if nothing changes Whether U.S. consumers will face shortages depends largely on what happens over the next few weeks.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
The process of changing plans is often daunting and success depends on many factors, some beyond your control.—
Diane Omdahl,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
The Angel Guild counts a community of over 1.1M members from more than 170 countries who cleared The Strangers’ Case for distribution.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 May 2025
-
Numbers still count, but so do relationships, values, outcomes and long-term contributions to major causes.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rely. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share