rely on/upon

phrasal verb

relied on/upon; relying on/upon; relies on/upon

1

: to need (someone or something) for support, help, etc. : to depend on (someone or something)

My mother relied on me for financial support.

They rely on a well for all their water.

2

: to trust or believe (someone or something)

She's someone you can rely on.

I relied heavily upon your advice.

You could always rely on him to disagree.

3

: to expect (something) with confidence : to be certain that (something) will happen or exist

The economy may improve next year, but it's not something you can rely on.

Examples of rely on/upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jen Easterly, the nation’s top election security official, urged Americans to rely on state and local election officials for information about elections. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

And the study found that just under half of CFOs—48%—rely on old-fashioned manual tracking methods for keeping up with lease agreements. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

For example, the United States has managed to rely on foreign sources of uranium for nuclear energy for decades without national security risks. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Tesla’s choice to rely on cameras alone is driven by cost reduction, aiming to create a more affordable option for consumers. —Michael Khouw, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024