relied; relying
1
: to be dependent
the system on which we rely for water
2
: to have confidence based on experience
someone you can rely on
Examples of rely in a Sentence
rigorously tested the rope before starting out, for the rock climbers would be relying on it with their very lives
Recent Examples on the Web
Fire isn’t necessarily bad The giant trees rely on low-intensity fire to help open their cones to disperse seeds.
—
Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
The move could deal a massive blow to companies — primarily in the technology and finance sectors — that rely heavily on highly skilled immigrants, particularly from India and China.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
Pinal County farmers had already lost access to Colorado River water and will now have to rely more heavily on groundwater.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Their offense relies heavily on the ground game, led by Kejon Owens, while quarterback Keyone Jenkins spreads the ball around.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rely
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Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
The move could deal a massive blow to companies — primarily in the technology and finance sectors — that rely heavily on highly skilled immigrants, particularly from India and China.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
Pinal County farmers had already lost access to Colorado River water and will now have to rely more heavily on groundwater.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Their offense relies heavily on the ground game, led by Kejon Owens, while quarterback Keyone Jenkins spreads the ball around.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rely
Cite this Entry
“Rely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rely. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rely
verb
re·ly
ri-ˈlī 
relied; relying
1
: to have confidence based on experience
someone you can rely on
2
: to be dependent
the system on which we rely for water
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