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 Skylights add more brightness and reduce the reliance on lightbulbs. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025 But in the years that followed, most gained employment, and their reliance on government aid declined. CBS News, 27 Apr. 2025 America’s reliance on China is easy to see in your kitchen. Pablo Robles, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025 Last week, the Trump administration announced probes into pharmaceutical imports, citing national security concerns over reliance on foreign drug production. Maggie Fick, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reliance
Noun
  • The pod will also tell the story of Edwards, who last year pled guilty to making indecent images of children having for decades been one of the BBC’s lead anchors.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2025
  • What Brands Can Learn For luxury and lifestyle brands outside of hospitality, the lessons are clear: Create emotional anchors.
    Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Rapid expansion without profitability is a recipe for dependency on external funding.
    Jonathan Low, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Over time, this dynamic may develop into a toxic cycle of dependency.
    Eddie Brummelman, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • He’s said the program has helped more than 30,000 people either get off government assistance or decrease their dependence on it.
    Kirby Wilson, Miami Herald, 1 May 2025
  • China is the world’s largest producer of rare earth elements, and both the U.S and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing, Trump’s chief geopolitical adversary.
    Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • The multilateral framework painstakingly built since World War II—with the World Trade Organization as its backbone —is being systematically undermined.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
  • These are the mission-critical applications and platforms that form the backbone of your operations.
    Tomás O’Leary, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Those pillars don’t change, but AI will influence how they are built.
    Hunter McMahon, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • According to the European Space Agency (ESA), a pillar of cold gas and dust 9.5 light-years tall is unfurling along the length of the new image.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • On his most recent trip home, Nazar arrived with crutches and a walker supplied by UNICEF and partners.
    Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Following the game, Lillard was seen making his way out of Fiserv Forum with crutches and his left leg in a boot.
    Sam Amick, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reliance. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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