relying

verb

present participle of rely
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

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 relying If Wayne, a fictional character, were a more solid creation, the movie could better explore the issue of whether answering racist brutality in kind is more effective than relying on an inadequate system. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 Particularly on the men’s side, the club has a rich history of bringing through Carrington graduates and relying on youth. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Control units can be installed at several locations aboard a vessel, allowing crew members to monitor threats and access the system without relying on a single operating station. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026 In interviews, parents described forgoing necessities, falling behind on bills or relying on acquaintances to watch their children. — Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The next wave of successful launches will likely have a stronger sense of identity, functionality and recognizability, rather than relying purely on logo or heritage. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026 Instead of relying on traditional textile dyes, the yeast produced different colors itself, including blue, red, orange, and purple. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026 An increasing number of investors are paying attention to how tech giants are relying more heavily on debt financing to fund their AI expansion. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 The higher prices come as Apple continues relying heavily on services revenue. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relying
  1. depending
  2. counting
  3. leaning
Verb
  • Closing timelines can also vary depending on the lender with which Quicken Loans pairs you.
    — Dan Simms, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • As a result, unlike their civilian counterparts, some troops can see their paychecks change many times a year, depending on many factors — something that also increases the likelihood of errors.
    — Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of depending
Verb
  • The number has crept up in recent years, averaging around 1,700 but sometimes topping 2,000, as heat risks grow and counting strategies evolve.
    — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This is why counting AI pilots tells us little about whether an organization is becoming more innovative.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of counting
Verb
  • Alonso is leaning into Chelsea’s strength — the transitional attacking power of his front three — and working on protecting the weakness, giving up too much space for his team to defend.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Seen in profile or three-quarters from behind, the artist is seated, leaning toward the sheet.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of leaning

Browse Nearby Words

rely
relying
relying (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relying. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All