as in to depend
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rely
In one case study highlighted by PCMag, a sailboat cruising through the Red Sea with the Starlink Mini dish—a user device released in 2024—was able to exclusively rely on Starlink positioning data despite GPS jamming and spoofing.
—
Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
What are the risks of building something that relies on burning fossil fuels?
—Sofi Zeman
may 11, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
From its earliest days as a start-up, the company had relied on flat management.
—Geoffrey Cain, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Our cells rely on 20 amino acids, most of which our bodies can build themselves if needed.
—Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rely
Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
What are the risks of building something that relies on burning fossil fuels?
—Sofi Zeman
may 11, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
From its earliest days as a start-up, the company had relied on flat management.
—Geoffrey Cain, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Our cells rely on 20 amino acids, most of which our bodies can build themselves if needed.
—Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rely
Verb
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But with Ben White down injured after 26 minutes and forced off, Arsenal’s season depended on Arteta and his gut feelings again.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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In those circumstances, strong representation depends on more than technical skill alone.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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What counts more here than Keckly’s balanced view of Mary is her paean to Lincoln.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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With over 90% of the Pelican State tally counted, Letlow was holding steady with about 44% of the vote versus Fleming's roughly 28% and Cassidy's approximately 25%.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rely. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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