debt

noun

ˈdet How to pronounce debt (audio)
Definition of debtnext
1
as in obligation
something (as money) which is owed he filed for bankruptcy when his debts exceeded his assets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code forgive us our debts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debt In August 1998, a financial crisis hit Russia, causing a default on domestic debt and a collapse of the ruble. — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026 This strategy, announced after yields hit 19-year highs, involves funding these repurchases by issuing more short-term bills, effectively swapping longer-term debt for shorter maturities. — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Broadcom was in the news again Friday, with Bloomberg reporting the company is in talks to raise more than $60 billion in debt for an AI financing deal . — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for debt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debt
  1. obligation
  2. crime
  3. score
  4. sin
  5. indebtedness
  6. violation
  7. bankruptcy
Noun
  • There were plenty of options, from excursions and cultural experiences to restaurants and time by the pool or beach, but none felt like obligations.
    — Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Most of the funds would be borrowed, with about $10 billion coming through general obligation bonds that would be repaid over time by California taxpayers.
    — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of obligation
Noun
  • The scene of the crime, 30 years later There is no monument to Shakur at the corner of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane where he was shot.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Laws regarding incarceration of youthful offenders — age 25 or younger at the time of the crime — have evolved since the siblings were tried.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of crime
Noun
  • The framework scores models across risk categories, including cybersecurity, biological and chemical weapons, and a model’s ability to act autonomously.
    — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Bregman singled in pinch-runner Kevin Alcantara off Grant Taylor in the seventh to tie the score.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of score
Noun
  • In the final season, as the survivors race to bury their sins before rescue arrives and an old flame roars back into town with plans of her own.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
  • And when that dish is chicken, the sin here is serving a dry bird.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of sin
Noun
  • And according to a European intelligence report this past June, Russian lenders are vulnerable due to soaring indebtedness and deteriorating loans.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The lack of access to institutional credit and chronic indebtedness is also seen by some researchers as a contributing factor to the phenomenon of farmer suicides in rural India.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of indebtedness
Noun
  • Miles says similar texts were sent to others about the recall, and that the texts constitute quid pro quo, a major ethics violation.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The party also viewed Yabloko’s stance on Ukraine as unlawful and tantamount to calling for the violation of Russia’s territorial integrity.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of violation
Noun
  • Last fall, a federal bankruptcy judge ordered the network liquidated, finding evidence that McGraw deleted text messages to conceal plans favoring certain creditors over others.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • At the time, spending on massive pensions for public employees — especially public-safety officials — was consuming larger chunks of the state budget and pushing localities to the brink of bankruptcy.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of bankruptcy

Browse Nearby Words

debs
debt
debts
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Cite this Entry

“Debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debt. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about debt

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