1
as in obligation
something (as money) which is owed
he filed for bankruptcy when his debts exceeded his assets
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of debt
According to the Rockies, the Penners' investment allows the franchise to retire all outstanding debt and provides additional capital for the team.
—
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
If a debt remains unpaid for long enough, though, the balance may be handed off to a collection agency to deal with.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The question of public debt is a concern for many, from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
School districts School districts receive the largest share of property taxes in Dallas, funding salaries, debt payments and maintenance costs.
—Neal Franklin, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debt
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
If a debt remains unpaid for long enough, though, the balance may be handed off to a collection agency to deal with.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The question of public debt is a concern for many, from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
School districts School districts receive the largest share of property taxes in Dallas, funding salaries, debt payments and maintenance costs.
—Neal Franklin, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debt
Noun
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Escalating risk tied to the nation’s debt obligations could push investors to require higher yields on Treasuries, forcing interest rates up, which would make the deficit even more difficult to resolve.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Republican candidate for Minnesota’s Second Congressional District Tyler Kistner ended his campaign this week, citing his military service obligations as the main reason for withdrawing from the race.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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Webster was arraigned Wednesday on charges of assault with intent to murder and lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The board will discuss giving them more attention to improve test scores.—
Lacey Beasley,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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The Heat trimmed the deficit to 123-120 to play on a driving basket by Mitchell, only to see Ball score on the other end to make it 125-120 with 26 seconds to play.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There are worse sins in the world.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Believers confess their sins to a priest, receive spiritual guidance and absolution and typically are required to make an act of contrition like saying specific prayers.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That’s because one way a district can qualify for financial hardship is to have bond indebtedness of at least 60% of the total bonding capacity.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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If passed, school districts would have to include payments of bonds, indebtedness and contracts.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Iran disagrees strongly, and called Israel's ongoing attacks in Lebanon a violation of the ongoing two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.—
April 16,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Rodgers echoed Kelly’s trepidations by arguing that the city should take more explicit actions under code that already exists to protect against ordinance violations.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In many states, including Maryland, debtors may exempt substantial assets from bankruptcy, including retirement accounts, spendthrift trusts and substantial equity in real estate (unlimited in Texas).—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2026
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The additional financial pressure is mounting on top of low crop prices and an increasing number of farm bankruptcies following the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debt. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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