1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

reliable

adjective

ri-ˈlī-ə-bəl How to pronounce reliable (audio)
Definition of reliablenext
as in responsible
worthy of one's trust I need a reliable car that's not going to break down constantly

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 reliable This precariousness of the career path is driving younger generations to seek more reliable employment. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026 The facility will supply electricity to the regional grid and provide APG with a more reliable power supply. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026 However, software updates and compatibility conflicts prevented us from gathering reliable comparison data for those tests in this review. — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026 In exercise science, this is considered the most reliable way to measure calorie expenditure. — Jason Kostrna, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reliable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reliable
  1. responsible
  2. safe
  3. true
  4. good
  5. steady
  6. dependable
  7. solid
  8. trustworthy
Adjective
  • Dostoyevsky’s sniveling devil comes closest to portraying the man chiefly responsible for organizing the Final Solution.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Curator Cheryl Sim has been responsible for connecting artists with the property.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of responsible
Adjective
  • Public libraries weren’t safe either, as books were banned from shelves.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The 115-foot lighthouse was built in 1872 to keep travelers safe between Monterey and San Francisco before there was a PCH.
    — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of safe
Adjective
  • Showrunner Felicia Pride brought the concept to the streaming service with a goal to modernize the look and feel of the show while staying true to much of the feeling from the original.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • As much as there’s little room for nuance in the interval of frenzied overreaction that is Week 1 of the NFL season, two seemingly contradictory statements can be true at the exact same time.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • Godspell opened in March 1973 to pretty good reviews and disappointing box office.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Most credit cards have variable interest rates that track the prime rate banks charge their best customers.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of good
Adjective
  • While the complexities around working within a park that his ancestors had been removed from remain, Mgesi now supports much of his extended family with the steady wage.
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Such rhetoric has contributed to Lula’s small but steady lead in most polls.
    — Andre Pagliarini, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of steady
Adjective
  • Being dependable sometimes means choosing one thing and doing it well.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • During these times of uncertainty, customers increasingly choose to work with companies that are dependable, predictable and easy to do business with.
    — Rick Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of dependable
Adjective
  • Oriahi has a solid handle on all craft aspects, though only the costumes by Yolanda Okereke are particularly distinguishable — her color stories popping in almost every scene.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Multiple team members held solid relationships with their wholesalers, and his systems ran the operation whether Bruno was on-site or traveling.
    — Jason Sisneros, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of solid
Adjective
  • Leaders celebrate new tools and faster systems but rarely ask whether the underlying data is actually trustworthy.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The report also found that an AI retail model is only as trustworthy as the data it is built upon.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of trustworthy

Browse Nearby Words

reliability
reliable
reliableness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reliable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reliable. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of pundit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All