1
as in anchors
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 dependencies
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reliances
Noun
-
While excavating the River Wear, archaeologists uncovered more than 800 whetstones — stone tools that were used to sharpen weapons and other tools — as well as 11 stone anchors believed to be linked to river transport.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026 -
So what does that mean for metro Des Moines, where companies like Principal Financial, EMC Insurance, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Nationwide Mutual Insurance are anchors of the Iowa capital's downtown?—
Bill Steiden,
Des Moines Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Both create different dependencies — and, therefore, different geopolitical risks.—
Vivian Toh,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Europe developed too many dependencies on gas with Russia, on security with the United States, and on trade with China.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Many are Latin American or African immigrants working in the agricultural, tourism or service sectors, backbones of Spain’s booming economy.—
Renata Brito,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In the economy of tomorrow, community colleges and vocational-technical schools—optimized for true lifelong learning with apprenticeship and mentorship programs—will likely be the backbones of public and private education alike.—
Eric Holcomb,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond them, the concrete of the 21st century falls away, replaced by creamy pillars and marble paving stretching into the distance, with green hills beyond.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Reducing bureaucracy and streamlining industry fees are key pillars of achieving sustenance and making Nigerian producers competitive.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Reliances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reliances. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
