national debt
noun
: the total amount of money that the government of a country owes to companies, countries, etc.
Examples of national debt in a Sentence
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New borrowing funded 40% of the 2025 supplementary budget, pushing the national debt to a record high.
—
Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
The greatest existential threat to our children is the national debt.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
The president has claimed tariff revenue will pay off the country’s staggering $38 trillion national debt and the administration will be able to dole out $2,000 rebate checks to Americans and provide tax cuts.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Shriver’s many strange enthusiasms have provided her with a wellspring of ideas, which in the past have produced highly topical novels—about school massacres, obesity, religion, and, yes, the national debt.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
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Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
The greatest existential threat to our children is the national debt.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
The president has claimed tariff revenue will pay off the country’s staggering $38 trillion national debt and the administration will be able to dole out $2,000 rebate checks to Americans and provide tax cuts.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Shriver’s many strange enthusiasms have provided her with a wellspring of ideas, which in the past have produced highly topical novels—about school massacres, obesity, religion, and, yes, the national debt.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for national debt
Cite this Entry
“National debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national%20debt. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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