as in depended
to place reliance or trust
rigorously tested the rope before starting out, for the rock climbers would be relying on it with their very lives
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Recent Examples of relied
Blacksmiths have relied on the softening glow of the forge since the Iron Age, and Metallurgy 101 dictates that thermal energy makes atoms slide past each other with ease.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Hungary has long relied heavily on Russian technology and fuel to power its nuclear plants.
—Mariia Kashchenko, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
In response, Hodges leaned on the same explanation his agency had relied on for months, blaming the company that drilled her water well.
—Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
Otherwise, Veloso relied on the sun, candlelight and fire to illuminate his shots.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Ahead of that presidential election, Tammy Hullum, chair of the county Republican Party, said precinct chairs relied on familiar networks.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
The Mountaineers relied on their size throughout much of the evening, scoring 38 of their 74 points in the paint.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Beijing, which held the 2022 Winter Olympics, relied almost entirely on snowmaking.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Havana traditionally relied on Caracas for crude imports, but supply has plummeted since Washington captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
—semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Hungary has long relied heavily on Russian technology and fuel to power its nuclear plants.
—Mariia Kashchenko, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
In response, Hodges leaned on the same explanation his agency had relied on for months, blaming the company that drilled her water well.
—Nick Bowlin, The Frontier, 16 Feb. 2026
Otherwise, Veloso relied on the sun, candlelight and fire to illuminate his shots.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Ahead of that presidential election, Tammy Hullum, chair of the county Republican Party, said precinct chairs relied on familiar networks.
—Aarón Torres, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
The Mountaineers relied on their size throughout much of the evening, scoring 38 of their 74 points in the paint.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Beijing, which held the 2022 Winter Olympics, relied almost entirely on snowmaking.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Havana traditionally relied on Caracas for crude imports, but supply has plummeted since Washington captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
—semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relied
Verb
-
In the end, democracy’s strength has always depended as much on watchful citizens as on institutions.—
Ken Silverstein,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Like many Texans, my family depended on wages, not wealth, and learned the value of hard work, fairness, and accountability.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, from 2014 to 2024, 350,000 died, according to the United Nations—or close to twice that many, as counted by expatriate outfits.—
Josef Joffe,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The neutral court matchup counted as a conference game for the schools that traveled over 2,500 miles to play in Kia Forum, the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relied. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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