rely on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb (see also rely)

1. to trust or depend on someone or something to do what you need or expect them to do ⇒ reliable, reliance:
I knew I could rely on David.
rely on somebody/something to do something
Many working women rely on relatives to help take care of their children.
rely on/upon somebody/something for
Many people now rely on the Internet for news.

2. to depend on something in order to continue to live or exist:
For its income, the company relies heavily on only a few contracts.
rely on/upon somebody/something for
They have to rely on the river for their water.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

depend on something/somebody to need something or someone in order to exist, or be healthy, successful etc:
The island’s economy depends on tourism.
The two industries depend on each other.
Many people depend on the sport for their livelihood (=they need it in order to make money to live).
rely on something/somebody to depend on something or someone to do or provide what you need, especially because you have no choice:
In rural areas, many people rely on public transport.
She’d never wanted to rely on a man for money.
count on something to depend on something that you expect to happen:
Their government was counting on American support.
I’m counting on getting a pay rise next year.
lean on somebody to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time:
We all need a good friend that we can lean on.
When her husband died, she leant on Mike for support.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲