rely

Borrowed from Old French relier (“fasten, attach, rally, oblige”), from Latin religo (“fasten, bind fast”), from re- + ligo.

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• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈlaɪ/
• Rhymes: -aɪ

rely (third-person singular simple present relies, present participle relying, simple past and past participle relied)

1. (with on or upon, formerly also with in) to trust; to have confidence in; to depend.
   • 2012 May 26, Phil McNulty, “Norway 0-1 England”, in BBC Sport:

     Hodgson also has Wayne Rooney to call on once he has served a two-match suspension at the start of the tournament - and it is abundantly clear England will rely as heavily as ever on his ability to shape the outcome of important games.

   • 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):

     A “moving platform” scheme […] is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays.

• Ryle, lyre