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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Recent Examples of rely
But for those of us in business and leadership, particularly in creative industries where innovation relies on attention, mental clarity and real connection, the implications are worth watching closely.
—
Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
The proposal relies on Starship being refueled in low-Earth orbit by multiple Starship tanker launches.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
This means people affected by damaging, although not entirely devastating, floods often have to rely on insurance, area nonprofits, in-kind donations and their own checkbooks.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Most of its residents rely on the low-cost insurance subsidized by the federal and state governments.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rely
Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
The proposal relies on Starship being refueled in low-Earth orbit by multiple Starship tanker launches.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
This means people affected by damaging, although not entirely devastating, floods often have to rely on insurance, area nonprofits, in-kind donations and their own checkbooks.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Most of its residents rely on the low-cost insurance subsidized by the federal and state governments.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rely
Verb
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That includes businesses that provide professional services, such as doctors, lawyers, consultants, athletes, and brokers—typically, any business whose success depends on the reputation or skill of its employees.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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OpenAI also says there is a 45 percent to 65 percent reduction in factual errors over GPT-4, depending on the setting, as well as substantial gains in handling medical and coding tasks on industry-standard benchmarks.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Teams had been 53-0 since 2000, counting playoffs, when leading by 15 points and taking possession with 8-10 minutes left in regulation, per TruMedia.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The mark of a brilliant director might be counted on how many actors get their moments in smaller roles, and this film is full of them, notably Steve Coulter in for one memorable scene as a seatmate whose nose cold causes consternation for Liz at a dinner party.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rely. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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