Definition of reliancenext
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

Relevance
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 The venue’s frequent financial troubles — and its continued reliance on empathetic fans for support — have landed its owners in hot water yet again. Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026 Obviously there are risks with all kinds of energy imports, and some European leaders have been vocal about not wanting to replace reliance on Russian or even US fossil fuels with dependence on Chinese clean tech. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026 Police records show the department’s reliance on residential search warrants has dropped sharply in recent years, especially since the mistaken raid on the home of Anjanette Young in 2019, shortly after the consent decree was entered. Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 In the United States, federal guidance now emphasizes the importance of inventorying cloud dependencies and reducing reliance on a single provider. Doug Jacobson, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reliance
Noun
  • His legs felt like anchors dragging across the court.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The Asian Film Awards, an anchor event of Hong Kong’s Entertainment Expo, which usually takes place on the eve of Filmart, has canceled the main awards ceremony, citing the need to be low-key following last year’s Tai Po fire tragedy.
    Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The vision is expected to begin with further strengthening downtown Hartford and lessening its dependency on office workers for vibrancy.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
  • In the United States, federal guidance now emphasizes the importance of inventorying cloud dependencies and reducing reliance on a single provider.
    Doug Jacobson, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Big banks, seen as the backbone of any economy, also took a hit with JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of America down over 2% each.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
  • These protections, found in the First Amendment, form the backbone of American democracy.
    Brielle Miller, Baltimore Sun, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Obviously there are risks with all kinds of energy imports, and some European leaders have been vocal about not wanting to replace reliance on Russian or even US fossil fuels with dependence on Chinese clean tech.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The conflict has strengthened calls for more focus on renewable energy to reduce dependence on foreign fuel.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The latter, which upped the ante on Crystal and Ryan's already growing fame, has become a pillar of the American film canon.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
  • So this is really undercutting what is supposed to be a key pillar of their affordability message.
    NBC news, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Reliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reliance. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.

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