as in depending
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 relying
Critics had pointed to it as an example of the apparent risks of relying on Chinese financing to build out infrastructure projects, though the extent of this being an issue is hotly debated among experts.
—
Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Instead of relying on a tired dobby border to maintain the towels’ shape, Frette instead opted for a tonal band of piping that goes all the way around the rounded bath staples.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
The robot worked within existing workflows instead of relying on isolated test environments.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
The current conflict is sometimes referred to as the Third Gulf War, but is distinctive from the earlier two wars in important respects, including so far relying on executive authority alone.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
But relying on migration as a buffer against an aging population is likely unsustainable.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
Plus, small, steady savings will always beat relying on luck.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
During his confirmation hearing, Mullin touched on another key demand of Democrats -- ensuring a judge has signed off on warrants that immigration officers use to search people's homes, rather than simply relying on administrative warrants issued by the department.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Mar. 2026
During his confirmation hearing last week, Mullin touched on another key demand Democrats want — ensuring a judge has signed off on warrants that immigration officers use to search people's homes, rather than simply relying on administrative warrants issued by the department.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Instead of relying on a tired dobby border to maintain the towels’ shape, Frette instead opted for a tonal band of piping that goes all the way around the rounded bath staples.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
The robot worked within existing workflows instead of relying on isolated test environments.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
The current conflict is sometimes referred to as the Third Gulf War, but is distinctive from the earlier two wars in important respects, including so far relying on executive authority alone.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
But relying on migration as a buffer against an aging population is likely unsustainable.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
Plus, small, steady savings will always beat relying on luck.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
During his confirmation hearing, Mullin touched on another key demand of Democrats -- ensuring a judge has signed off on warrants that immigration officers use to search people's homes, rather than simply relying on administrative warrants issued by the department.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Mar. 2026
During his confirmation hearing last week, Mullin touched on another key demand Democrats want — ensuring a judge has signed off on warrants that immigration officers use to search people's homes, rather than simply relying on administrative warrants issued by the department.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relying
Verb
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That could mean a delay of hours, days or longer depending on scheduling and technical constraints.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The monitor has an ambient sensor that helps adjust lighting depending on brightness.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite outside chatter about fraud, the arguments in court focused on whether the law allowed counting late-arriving ballots.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Double-digit seeds won a total of five games in this tournament (not counting the play-in round).—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But News Corporation executives somehow directed Chalker to Daniel Halpern, the bushy-haired and left-leaning editor of the company’s literary imprint Ecco Press.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Noongar Wongi rapper from Boorloo (Perth), still a teenager, delivered a full-band take on the 2003 conscious hip-hop classic, leaning into its themes of global division and compassion with a confidence that belied his age.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relying. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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