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Definitions

rely

[ri-lahy] / rɪˈlaɪ /


Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for rely?
The closest synonym for rely in many contexts is depend. Rely is often used in the verb phrase rely on, and the phrases depend on and count on often mean the same thing. Saying that you rely on a person suggests an element of confidence or trust—it means that you know you can depend on them without them letting you down. In this sense, a person or thing on which you rely can be described as reliable or dependable. Saying that an outcome relies on something means that it’s necessary for the outcome to happen, as in Our success will rely on preparation and a little bit of luck. The phrases hinge on and rest on can be used in the same way.
Are rely and support synonyms?
Rely and support are often used in the same contexts, but they aren’t synonyms. Instead, they’re more like the two different ends of the same interaction: typically, if you’re relying on someone, they’re supporting you. The support is what’s being relied on.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“The systems in each voting location are not connected to the Internet or to each other, and many methods for exploiting them rely on physical proximity.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

It is unacceptable that a public institution already so clouded in secrecy either chooses to or must rely on a private consulting firm.

From Slate Jul. 15, 2026

Most of those are in Northern Ireland, where the watchdog says 60% of households rely on it.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2026

In contrast Li, who has no big online following, can "only rely on calling out to people on the street to get customers".

From Barron's Jul. 13, 2026

In this case, Clare had to rely on precedent.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

The Pentagon relies on SpaceX for launching rockets and managing satellites for communications and missile tracking.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

Yet its authority is not self-executing: It relies on lower courts to implement its decisions, extend their logic, and normalize the resulting excesses.

From Slate Jul. 17, 2026

The region primarily relies on water from the overtapped and shrinking Colorado River.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 17, 2026

AST SpaceMobile is developing a space-based cellular broadband network that relies on putting new satellites in orbit.

From MarketWatch Jul. 16, 2026

All movement, you might remember, relies on that kind of tension.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

The partnership at its height included billions in US financing flowing to the South Asian nation, which Washington relied on for military supply routes and counterterrorism cooperation.

From Barron's Jul. 17, 2026

But perhaps most saliently, the whole incident brought to light just how much the Supreme Court had relied on this particular security firm in the past.

From Slate Jul. 15, 2026

Fish and Wildlife Service had not relied on the best scientific and commercial data available in adding the lizard to the list.

From Salon Jul. 15, 2026

The FDIC’s 2023 survey found that 5.6 million households were unbanked, meaning they had no bank account, and an estimated 19 million had accounts but relied on nonbank credit to meet their needs.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Collins’s approach wasn’t “You must remember this variation of the King’s Indian Defense, which is much stronger than what you played”—rather, he relied on a kind of osmosis.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Co-author Dr. Charlotte Mills, University of Reading, explained that the findings point to new ways of improving how the body processes nitrate without relying on long-term sugar consumption.

From Science Daily Jul. 15, 2026

In several districts across the country, organizations reported they were relying less on the federal government amid changes to rules and funding levels.

From MarketWatch Jul. 15, 2026

In every round, it did just enough, relying on suffocating defense and its trademark depth.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

But Pete Etchells, professor of science communication at Bath Spa University, cautioned against relying too much on them.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2026

I sat stiff and erect, supported by the hard bench, relying upon it as upon a form of hope.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison




Vocabulary lists containing rely


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