Synonyms of reliance

reliance

noun

ri-ˈlī-ən(t)s 

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

• anchor
• backbone
• dependence
• pillar
• crutch
• standby
• mainstay
• buttress
• spine
• right hand
• refuge
• prop
• handmaiden
• anchorage
• sinew(s)
• stay
• harbor
• bolsterer

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

• dependency
• dependence
• reciprocity
• trust
• relativity
• confidence
• faith
• stock
• credence

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• independence
• self-reliance
• self-sufficiency
• independency
• self-support
• autonomy
• sovereignty
• self-dependence
• self-determination

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of reliance

In-season shopping reduces reliance on energy-intensive greenhouses, long-haul freight and artificial ripening. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026

Materials science company Balena is exploring whether its flexible biomaterial could provide stretch and support in intimate apparel while reducing the category’s reliance on elastane, nylon, foams and other synthetic components. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026

Flip Pidot, chief strategy officer at PredictIt and member of the board of directors at the Coalition for Political Forecasting, said reliance on polls is often a problem for prediction market contracts, like those in Michigan and Wisconsin. — Garrett Downs,davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026

These conflicts—and the growing reliance on litigation to settle them—carry significant implications for law, policy, and culture, both in Britain and internationally. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026