decrease debt

USAGE SUMMARY

"decrease debt" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It is used to refer to the act of reducing or lessening the amount of money that a person or organization owes. You can use it in a sentence like: "We need to come up with a plan to decrease our debt before it becomes unmanageable."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Some of the fund will be used to recapitalise banks and decrease debt, but analysts are sceptical about how much money there will really be to work with.

The Guardian - Business

The "improvements" would include not just agreeing to more reforms, but the imposition of automatic spending cuts if Athens failed to hit the budget targets it had agreed to, and the "transfer of valuable Greek assets of [50 bn] Euros to an external fund like the Institution for Growth in Luxembourg, to be privatized over time and decrease debt".

The New Yorker

And, if not these investments, the money could have been used to pay dividends, buy back stock or decrease debt.

Forbes

The formula has been rather simple: decrease debt while increasing horsepower for every car Nissan and Infiniti sells, and don't raise prices.

Forbes

Then they reconsidered and got back into Williams in late May at around $11, just after Chief Executive Steven Malcolm Steven Malcolm told investors that he planned to decrease debt from more than $11 billion to $8 billion in a year, as well as simplify the company's structure and cut costs.

Forbes

Whatever it is, their cute little saying that 'you don't decrease debt by spending' is just ignorant of how a complex economy works.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Increased investment spending would improve long-term GDP, under any financing scheme, and would decrease debt-to-GDP ratio as well as deficit-to-GDP ratio.

Economic Modelling

"Decreasing debt is a marathon, not a sprint," Olivier Blanchard, the fund's chief economist, has observed.

The Economist

"Romney campaigned for governor on the promises of more jobs, decreased debt and smaller government," Mr. Axelrod writes in the memo.

The New York Times

Equally impressive, lending circles also have a dramatic impact in decreasing debt.

Forbes

Fix the Debt is just the latest Peterson-funded front group that has been trying to hype rapidly decreasing debt and deficits into a "Pearl Harbor -level Harbor -level

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing financial strategies, be specific about the methods used to "decrease debt", such as refinancing, budgeting, or increasing income.

Common error

Don't focus solely on temporary fixes like debt consolidation without addressing the underlying spending habits that led to the debt in the first place. A true solution involves behavioral changes and financial planning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decrease debt" functions as a verb followed by a noun, indicating an action performed on a financial obligation. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrasing is both grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

30%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "decrease debt" is a grammatically correct and widely understood way to describe the act of reducing financial obligations. Ludwig AI confirms this. While not as common as alternatives like "reduce debt", it is suitable for various contexts, particularly in news, business, and financial discussions. When using this phrase, consider specifying the methods employed to achieve debt reduction for clarity and impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reduce indebtedness

Replaces "debt" with "indebtedness", a more formal term.

lower debt levels

Focuses on the quantifiable aspect of reducing the amount of debt.

alleviate debt burden

Emphasizes the negative impact of debt and the act of lessening it.

pay down debt

Highlights the action of actively repaying the debt.

mitigate debt obligations

Uses more formal and legalistic language to describe reducing debt.

cut down on debt

A more informal phrasing emphasizing reduction in debt.

shrink debt

Uses a more visual and less formal term to express reduction.

bring down debt

Emphasizes the act of actively lowering the amount of debt.

service existing debt

Focuses on managing and repaying the current debt load.

improve debt position

Shifts the focus to the overall financial health in relation to debt.

FAQs

How can I use "decrease debt" in a sentence?

You can use "decrease debt" to describe strategies for reducing the amount of money owed, such as "The company implemented a new policy to "decrease debt" by 20% next year".

What are some alternatives to saying "decrease debt"?

You can use alternatives like "reduce debt", "lower debt levels", or "alleviate debt burden" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "decrease debt" and "eliminate debt"?

"Decrease debt" means to reduce the amount owed, while "eliminate debt" means to completely pay off or get rid of all outstanding debt.

Is it better to focus on "decreasing debt" or increasing income?

Ideally, a combination of both is best. Decreasing debt frees up cash flow and reduces financial stress, while increasing income provides more resources to pay down debt and achieve financial goals.