How to Use owe in a Sentence

owe

verb
  • I still owe on the car.
  • I owe you a drink.
  • I owe the bank a lot of money.
  • I owe you my thanks.
  • We owe no income tax.
  • She still owes me for all the times I've helped her out.
  • Additional payments are owed on the mortgage.
  • The world doesn’t owe us a thing.
    — Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Life on Earth owes much to plants.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The tenant has paid all rent owed.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Learn how to get rid of your debt for less than what's owed here.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • Rourke owed on rentals elsewhere.
    — Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Those of us touched by the gift of his life owe it to him to pass it on.
    — Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 26 Dec. 2021
  • There is a plan to transfer that debt to those who don’t owe it.
    — WSJ, 28 Aug. 2022
  • Rourke now owes $59,100 in back rent.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2026
  • They’re owed more that $1 billion.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
  • Some workers tell her they’re owed wages or they weren’t paid for sick days.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Prospect owes him about $183,000.
    — Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Our city owes you a debt of gratitude.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
  • This means the universe owes you a favor.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
  • What does a franchise owe its great players?
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • In turn, what does that star player owe the franchise?
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • There are many reasons why you may be owed money and not be aware of it.
    — New York Daily News Special Sections, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025
  • That’s close to $2 million owed by the Criswells.
    — Dave Lieber feb. 25, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Here's what you're owed if your flight is canceled or delayed by the storm.
    — Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025
  • If your goal is peace of mind, paying what's owed can feel like a weight lifted.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Once that happens, your bank may be required to freeze funds up to the amount owed.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Precious and Anne-Claire, the world owes you a great deal.
    — Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Trump owes Mueller a huge debt of gratitude.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Trump owes at least some of his appeal to that cynicism.
    — David French, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026

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

Last Updated: