Library / English Dictionary

RELY ON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be dependent on, as for support or maintenance

Example:

elderly parents often depend on their adult children

Synonyms:

depend on; rely on

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Put trust in with confidence

Example:

you can rely on his discretion

Synonyms:

depend on; depend upon; rely on; rely upon

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Credits

 Context examples: 

I was sure that I might rely on you.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

All thinkers on general subjects, the greatest minds in the world, in fact, rely on the specialists.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But, scientists rely on gamma rays, the most energetic form of light, to brightly flag what cosmic source is producing these neutrinos and cosmic rays.

(NASA’s Fermi Traces Source of Cosmic Neutrino to Monster Black Hole, NASA)

Rodents and many others rely on smells or pheromones to identify each other.

(Oxytocin affects facial recognition, NIH)

To make up for that, you need to rely on a partner to provide that warmth, enthusiasm, and support.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

This is important because sharks are top predators that keep the marine ecosystem in check, helping to sustain the food web that supports millions of people worldwide who rely on seafood sustenance.

(New way to save endangered sharks – and our seafood, SciDev.Net)

See here! You come to London, I rely on you, and I have an object and a course at once.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Conventional cooling technologies rely on the thermal changes that occur when a compressed fluid expands.

(Green material for refrigeration identified, University of Cambridge)

Scientists rely on precise numerical models to answer questions like this one.

(Antarctica's Effect on Sea Level Rise in Coming Centuries, NASA)

Our technology significantly increases the resistance threshold against harmful radiation compared to today's technologies, which rely on absorbing radiation with thick filters.

(Protecting Astronauts from Radiation in Space, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)