rely

verb

re·​ly ri-ˈlī How to pronounce rely (audio)
relied; relying

intransitive verb

1
: to be dependent
the system on which we rely for water
2
: to have confidence based on experience
someone you can rely on
relier noun

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 But in another part of the state, waste handlers are relying on older technology. Chloe Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 As a result, Israel's case has relied on the testimony of eyewitnesses and first responders, like Otmazgin. Becky Sullivan, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 For crews who rely on in-person performance for their income, contractual language around AI is a top concern, Holtgrewe added. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Harvard-Westlake is the defending state champion and has been relying on USC commit Trent Perry, who has made 26 consecutive free throws and scored 42 and 28 points in his last two games. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The event has no in-person host, relying instead on Shuffle’s website to signal the start and end of each conversation. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The city relied heavily on surface streets for connectivity until the 1980s, when the Department of Transportation shifted its focus towards alleviating urban traffic congestion rather than constructing additional rural highways. Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Eight generations have relied on this publication to understand what’s happening in the world and what’s about to happen in the world. Annie Colbert, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 Traditional loyalty programs often rely on static - or at best multivariate - rewards, incentives and product offers. Sunshine Farzan, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relien to rally, from Anglo-French relier to retie, gather, rally, from Latin religare to tie out of the way, from re- + ligare to tie — more at ligature

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rely was in 1574

Dictionary Entries Near rely

Cite this Entry

“Rely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rely. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rely

verb
re·​ly ri-ˈlī How to pronounce rely (audio)
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

Legal Definition

rely

intransitive verb
re·​ly
relied; relying
: to depend with confidence : place faith

More from Merriam-Webster on rely

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