How to Use reliable in a Sentence

reliable

1 of 2 adjective
  • He's not very reliable. You can't always count on him to do what he says he'll do.
  • We can't write a report without reliable data.
  • We need more reliable information before we can take action.
  • And what does a lack of reliable depth look like?
    — Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Make some calls ahead of time to line up a reliable source.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Here is how to read all three, from least reliable to most.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • That’s a volatile way to win games, not a reliable one.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Get news through reliable sources, and spread it.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Right now, being reliable is the best way to make progress.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
  • The same instincts that got you here feel less reliable.
    — Yann Dang, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
  • Breathwork is one of the most reliable over time.
    — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
  • Nacua dropped the pass, the ball bouncing off his reliable hands.
    — Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 11 Jan. 2026
  • For me, ol’ reliable is the lilac shrub in my backyard.
    — Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
  • First, that the seller’s word is not reliable.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • They're supposed to be the most reliable, right?
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Becton is not reliable at this stage.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Teachers came to know her as reliable.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
  • But are these tools reliable across markets?
    — Harvard Business Review, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Lemon works best as a slot receiver with his speed and reliable hands.
    — C J Doon, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Ryan is a reliable starter, who is in his sixth season with the Twins.
    — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Detroit doesn’t have a reliable third tight end at the moment.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Breakouts are most reliable when sustained for a few days.
    — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Counting reliable all-in-one inkjets for home offices, these deals are too good to skip.
    — PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Both seem equally quick and reliable.
    — PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Every spring wardrobe needs a reliable pair of sneakers.
    — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The trick is to set up reliable ways to send money and keep tabs on everything.
    — Malana Vantyler, Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 2026
  • But no one is panicking about a few false starts from its most reliable lineman.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023
  • Keep an eye on your home from thousands of miles away with a reliable doorbell camera.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Maybe the answer has to do with how reliable your memory is.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
  • The aim is safe, reliable, and carbon-free power.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 June 2026

reliable

2 of 2 noun
  • The new ol’ reliable will serve as a mainstay in your capsule wardrobe for seasons to come.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
  • In addition to the old reliables, though, there are some new entrants to the fall nail color scene.
    — Jesa Marie Calaor, Allure, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Wood played many characters who were true-blue reliable, and others who were high-strung and neurotic.
    — Tim Gray, Variety, 20 July 2023
  • Get your squash season up and running with Cuisinart, an old reliable with stainless steel designs that are even older and more reliable.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 5 Oct. 2024
  • From old reliables like Ralph Lauren and Orlebar Brown to new innovators on the scene.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Apr. 2024
  • Gustavo Gimeno conducts; reliables by Ravel and Barber pad out the rest of the program.
    — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Unlike Louisville’s other quintessential coffee reliables that have been around for a certain number of years, there is only one Safai Coffee.
    — Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 May 2025
  • The 17-6 victory by Turner’s first Chargers team affirmed the old reliables about protecting the ball and not panicking.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2024
  • The Main Cabin on these old-reliables accommodate 156 seats that each offer 31 to 32 inches of legroom pitch, 18 inches of seat width, and three to four inches of recline.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Sep. 2025
  • With 50 seconds remaining in the Warriors’ play-in game against the host Clippers at Intuit Dome, Golden State’s two aging Hall of Famers went back to old reliable.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Then there are the old reliables that haven’t necessarily been nominated in recent years but are always in the conversation such as Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Real Time with Bill Maher and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 11 June 2026

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

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