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

In other cases, doctors prescribe clot-preventing medication to prevent further buildup and rely on the body’s natural processes to gradually dissolve what’s already there. —Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

The Houthis rely on pirates for smuggling oil and weapons, Ahmed said. —Soham Mitra, Lou Robinson and Patrick Gallagher, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025

Even with a large consumer base at home, German companies rely on foreign markets for sales growth. —Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

Any attack on the Postal Service would be part of the billionaire oligarch coup, directed not just at the postal workers our union represents, but the millions of Americans who rely on the critical public service our members provide every single day. —Giulia Carbonaro, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025