as in depends
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of relies
The art of effortless jewelry relies on brands with a deft design eye—classic but not boring; modern but subtle enough to layer with the rest of your look.
—
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 2 May 2026
The county operates the second largest public hospital system in the state, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, which runs four hospitals and 15 clinics across the county and relies heavily on revenues from the public insurance program.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 2 May 2026
Winners … for now China China, the world’s biggest energy importer, relies heavily on Middle Eastern oil.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
By contrast, the Republican plan relies on one-off gimmicks and volatile funding schemes that don’t last.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
The complaint argues the policy relies heavily on self-identification, with limited objective requirements for transfer.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
When both parents have protective orders against each other, the court relies heavily on the recommendations of an attorney appointed to investigate the child’s best interests.
—Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
The implications are enormous for any industry that relies heavily on software.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
Rather than focusing only on oil prices, which have been extremely volatile this year, investors may be looking toward infrastructure that the world relies on to move energy commodities.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2026
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 2 May 2026
The county operates the second largest public hospital system in the state, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, which runs four hospitals and 15 clinics across the county and relies heavily on revenues from the public insurance program.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 2 May 2026
Winners … for now China China, the world’s biggest energy importer, relies heavily on Middle Eastern oil.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
By contrast, the Republican plan relies on one-off gimmicks and volatile funding schemes that don’t last.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
The complaint argues the policy relies heavily on self-identification, with limited objective requirements for transfer.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
When both parents have protective orders against each other, the court relies heavily on the recommendations of an attorney appointed to investigate the child’s best interests.
—Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
The implications are enormous for any industry that relies heavily on software.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
Rather than focusing only on oil prices, which have been extremely volatile this year, investors may be looking toward infrastructure that the world relies on to move energy commodities.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relies
Verb
-
Our climate depends on the second half of the rainy season.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Inventory at the Statesmen Market primarily depends on what the Greater Chicago Food Depository has to offer, but there is an online system for Kennedy-King to order select items and quantities from the pantry’s warehouse.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
OpenAI now counts roughly 800 million weekly active users and is valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, with its for-profit subsidiary now valued at nearly $1 trillion, with a potential IPO that could arrive as early as late 2026 — an outcome Musk’s lawsuit, if successful, could jeopardize.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Musk, the world's richest person, counts $839 billion in wealth, according to Forbes.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relies. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
