rest on/upon

phrasal verb

rested on/upon; resting on/upon; rests on/upon

: to depend or rely on (someone or something)

All our hopes rested on one man.

: to stop moving and look at (someone or something)

His eyes/gaze rested on the letter.

: to be based on (something)

His theory rested upon two important pieces of evidence.

Examples of rest on/upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But this storied metropolis doesn't rest on its laurels. —

Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024 Often enough, those policies and strategies rest on defunct theories and outdated assumptions: about when a leader’s credibility does or does not matter, about when a show of force induces restraint or reaction, about what kinds of interdependence promote peace or war, and more. —

Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024 In 2024, not even an 11-term incumbent Republican congressman in a deep-red district can rest on his laurels. —

Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 17 June 2024 Jackson is too clear-eyed about the precarious state of theater and the even more perilous state of the world to rest on his laurels. —

Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for rest on/upon

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