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

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

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 For Jim, the potential debt raise is a win for both companies, reinforcing the idea that Nvidia customers are generating strong returns on their AI investments. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026 In the series, a young man buried in debt takes a part-time job paying 50 times the minimum wage, at a staffing agency where every shift could kill him. — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 Lawsuits over unpaid debt Public records from Mecklenburg District Court show the McGregors faced multiple lawsuits over unpaid debts and a nearly six-figure tax lien from the IRS. — Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026 Earlier this month, French 10-year bond yields jumped to the highest since 2002, and the premium over equivalent German yields widened to the most since the eurozone debt crisis in 2011. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Oct. 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
  • Organizers have legitimate obligations and limited resources.
    — Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • True, Dua Lipa has mostly lived in places where the de facto street food is a kebab, but work obligations put her in the land of hot dogs plenty.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of obligation
Noun
  • New York City has policies that limit local law enforcement from sharing certain information with federal officers or honoring detainer requests unless immigrants have been convicted of violent crimes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • All three are crime drama-thrillers, the most exportable and ordered of program types, but all three reject tropes of the genre.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of crime
Noun
  • Although the halftime score wasn’t lopsided, UCLA dominated through two quarters.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The film is described as a Chinese opera drama, with Bharadwaj composing Indian-style music numbers for the score, pairing the two traditions within a single production.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of score
Noun
  • Now Trump’s folks are rounding up and deporting people who were jailed in their home country for the sin of defending democracy.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • De Biase explained how a snake is associated with Eve and the story of sin in the Bible — but the shoe reframes the connotation of the snake.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sin
Noun
  • But the world’s two biggest economies have been diverging in key ways with implications for future growth and indebtedness.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Wall Street has expressed concerns about the company’s indebtedness — and taming its debt obligations will be a sizable chore for Ellison and his team.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of indebtedness
Noun
  • Denny Hamlin served a safety violation after a tire bounced out of his team’s pit box, sending him to the back of the field temporarily.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Myriad violations, from food that should’ve been trashed weeks earlier to filthy equipment, befouled the state inspection of a West Miami-Dade supermarket this week.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of violation
Noun
  • The music nearly stopped in late 2020, when Guitar Center sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The biopic centers on charismatic auto industry executive Sergio Marchionne, played by Pierfrancesco Favino, who saved Fiat from the brink of bankruptcy.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on debt

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about debt

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