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 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 Tips for safe cat weight loss Feel for the ribs and look for a visible waist instead of relying on weight alone. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Instead of relying on conventional stereo cameras, the system processes visual differences between the left and right images to build a more accurate 3D understanding of a scene. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 The current system is effectively relying on the workers of today—which include millennials and the younger end of Gen X—to finance retirees. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Rather than relying on age, take cues from your toddler to establish when the time is right. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 That means recognizing identity as a strategic business capability, continuously governing both human and non-human identities and applying adaptive access controls that respond to context instead of relying on static permissions. — Fran Rosch, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Those athletes can still seek injunctions in other forums, including state courts, but relying on a nationwide one granted by a federal judge is off the table. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relying
  1. depending
  2. counting
  3. leaning
Verb
  • For comparison, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry, began mass-producing 7nm chips in 2018 and can achieve yields exceeding 90%, depending on factors including chip design and die size.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Amazon wouldn’t share how many autonomous drones are coming to Tracy, saying the number will increase depending on demand.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 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 3 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

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All