as in depends
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 relies
White Stadium sits on public land and relies on public infrastructure — transit, public safety, utilities, and coordination — that need not serve only event days.
—
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Owing to this, cornstarch production also consumes vast amounts of water and relies heavily on the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026
In Arizona, a state that relies on federal funding from the ESA for the majority of its wolf operations, the bill would significantly impact recovery efforts.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Tesla’s technology relies solely on cameras and machine learning, a system some safety advocates say is not sufficient even under normal driving conditions.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Her family relies on a Medicaid program called Katie Beckett, which covers children with long-term disabilities or complex needs.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
An international order that relies on norms without enforcement will discover that some actors never believed in the game.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
From the outside, the company’s expansion might seem scattershot, but the truth is that Juici Patties’ leadership relies on a three-part filter to tell them where the brand’s famed patties will land next.
—Malana Vantyler, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The rally relies on the hope that shareholders will endorse their own dilution.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Owing to this, cornstarch production also consumes vast amounts of water and relies heavily on the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026
In Arizona, a state that relies on federal funding from the ESA for the majority of its wolf operations, the bill would significantly impact recovery efforts.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Tesla’s technology relies solely on cameras and machine learning, a system some safety advocates say is not sufficient even under normal driving conditions.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Her family relies on a Medicaid program called Katie Beckett, which covers children with long-term disabilities or complex needs.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
An international order that relies on norms without enforcement will discover that some actors never believed in the game.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
From the outside, the company’s expansion might seem scattershot, but the truth is that Juici Patties’ leadership relies on a three-part filter to tell them where the brand’s famed patties will land next.
—Malana Vantyler, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The rally relies on the hope that shareholders will endorse their own dilution.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relies
Verb
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Solopreneurship may be the default way of starting a business, but survival increasingly depends on how effectively founders use AI.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Coaxing those green shoots to sprout depends on the type of seed's temperature, light, and moisture requirements.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Arc Raiders continues to be one of the most successful new games of the decade, with strong player counts across Xbox, PlayStation and PC months after release.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, which counts the European soccer federation and the DAZN streaming network as well as major movie and TV studios among its members, works with law enforcement to take down the largest operators.—
Olivia Solon,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relies. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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