as in independent
able to take care of oneself or itself without outside help
a surprisingly calm and self-reliant child
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Recent Examples of self-reliant
Aatmanirbhar Bharat, meaning self-reliant India, is a key policy for Modi aimed at transforming the country into one that’s no longer dependent on the outside world for technology and manufacturing.
—
Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
The spending is based on forecasts that imports will continue to grow faster than the US economy as a whole, and that Trump’s push to make America more self-reliant won’t change that.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Matthew Fox, the Golden Globe-winning star of Lost (2004–2010), will play Paul, who's characterized as an outdoorsman and self-reliant bachelor.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
Another big driver of the surplus is China’s relatively low imports as Beijing pushes for an economy that’s self-reliant.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-reliant
Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
The spending is based on forecasts that imports will continue to grow faster than the US economy as a whole, and that Trump’s push to make America more self-reliant won’t change that.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Matthew Fox, the Golden Globe-winning star of Lost (2004–2010), will play Paul, who's characterized as an outdoorsman and self-reliant bachelor.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
Another big driver of the surplus is China’s relatively low imports as Beijing pushes for an economy that’s self-reliant.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-reliant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-reliant
independent
Adjective
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The following year, the City Council called for an independent commission to advise on overhauling the city’s criminal-justice system; it was chaired by Jonathan Lippman, a former chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, and Richards became a member.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Luckily these pests can be controlled with a natural spray of spinosad found in Bonide, Fertilome and Southern Ag brands of insecticides usually offered for caterpillar control at independent garden centers.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-reliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-reliant. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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