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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rely
Eating a variety of these foods is better than relying on just one food for optimal heart health.
—
Lindsey Desoto, Health, 23 Feb. 2026
The startup had relied on venture capital for its operations, having raised $57 million since its founding in 2017 from investors that include US giant Tiger Global.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
For local trips, travelers can rely on taxis.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Businesses that rely on the bridges to recruit and retain staff and bring in foot traffic have been particularly affected.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rely
Lindsey Desoto, Health, 23 Feb. 2026
The startup had relied on venture capital for its operations, having raised $57 million since its founding in 2017 from investors that include US giant Tiger Global.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
For local trips, travelers can rely on taxis.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Businesses that rely on the bridges to recruit and retain staff and bring in foot traffic have been particularly affected.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rely
Verb
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Besides the reluctance of many people to share their own DNA profile for investigations, the success rate also depends on people’s willingness to have their DNA catalogued at all.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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In some states, Powerball tickets can be bought online depending on local jurisdiction.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The group has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists there to verify deaths.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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Exhibition games don’t count toward that total, so Sunday’s triple play was basically dust in the wind.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rely. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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