settle arrears

USAGE SUMMARY

"settle arrears" is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used to refer to paying off a debt that is owed. For example, "He was able to settle his arrears on the loan before the due date."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Although VAT receipts jumped by around 15% in September and October, payments of income and corporation tax slowed down.An ambitious scheme to settle arrears owed by businesses had got off to a poor start.

The Economist

There was a long gap in cash payments to households in 2011, followed by a triple payment in February 2012 to settle arrears.

Unicef

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Greece's debt crisis threatens to turn into an energy emergency, with the state natural gas company threatening to cut supplies to electricity producers if they fail to settle their arrears.

The New York Times

The Welsh club originally had a £24m debt to Hammam, who is currently their honorary president, and now Cardiff must settle their £5m arrears with him by 2 March after agreeing an out-of-court settlement.

BBC

And it says it will settle over $1.1 billion in arrears owed to Pakistan under a programme to reimburse military expenses incurred guarding the wild border with Afghanistan.

The Economist

Officials are failing to mention the minimum amount the taxman would be able to accept to set up instalment plans for outstanding bills when people in arrears call to settle their debts.

The Times

The insurance market reports earnings three years in arrears to allow syndicates to settle claims, but interim estimates are provided.

The New York Times

The Department for Work and Pensions added that a lot of the department's staff working on child maintenance had found that non-resident parents who are in arrears siad that they have lots of debts to settle and would prioritise those by settling the ones that affected their credit rating first.

The Guardian - Money

Once Hamilton had fallen 3-1 behend he bungled the few chances he was given and did well to settle himself sufficiently to complete the break of 86 which limited his arrears to four frames.

The Guardian - Sport

The Marshall won't let them sell it to any of the bidders until they have settled some of their arrears.. View Article By Rebecca Mead By Anthony Lane By Atul Gawande By Jia Tolentino.

The New Yorker

ACL said the club owed £1.1m in rent arrears and could face a winding-up order if it did not settle its debts.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure that both parties involved (the one settling and the one receiving payment) have a clear record of the settled amount to avoid future disputes.

Common error

A common mistake is delaying action on arrears, which can lead to increased debt and legal consequences. Instead of ignoring the problem, proactively seek ways to "settle arrears" through payment plans or debt consolidation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "settle arrears" functions as a verb phrase followed by a noun, indicating the action of resolving outstanding debts. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is perfectly correct and usable in written English, typically referring to paying off a debt that is owed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "settle arrears" is a grammatically correct phrase that means to pay off outstanding or overdue debts. While Ludwig AI confirms its validity, its occurrence is relatively rare. It's commonly found in News & Media and Formal & Business contexts. For alternative phrasing, consider options such as "clear outstanding debts" or "pay off overdue payments". When using "settle arrears", be specific about the type of arrears to ensure clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

clear outstanding debts

This alternative replaces "settle" with "clear" and "arrears" with "outstanding debts", emphasizing the removal of debt.

pay off overdue payments

This option uses "pay off" instead of "settle" and specifies "overdue payments" instead of the general term "arrears".

resolve outstanding balances

Here, "resolve" replaces "settle", and "outstanding balances" is used instead of "arrears", focusing on the resolution of financial imbalances.

discharge accumulated debts

"Discharge" is used to convey the act of settling, while "accumulated debts" specifies the nature of the arrears as those that have built up over time.

liquidate past due amounts

This phrase uses "liquidate" to suggest converting assets to cash for payment, and "past due amounts" clarifies the arrears are amounts that should have been paid previously.

remedy payment shortfalls

"Remedy" is used to mean correct or fix, while "payment shortfalls" describes the lack of sufficient payment leading to arrears.

rectify outstanding obligations

"Rectify" replaces "settle" with the idea of correcting something, and "outstanding obligations" refers to the debts or duties that must be fulfilled.

satisfy unpaid dues

"Satisfy" implies meeting the requirement of paying, while "unpaid dues" is a more specific term for arrears referring to fees or payments that are yet to be paid.

address delayed payments

This alternative uses "address" to mean deal with, and "delayed payments" specifies that the payments are late, leading to arrears.

honor outstanding invoices

This option uses "honor" in the sense of fulfilling a financial commitment, and "outstanding invoices" identifies the specific documents related to the unpaid amounts.

FAQs

What does "settle arrears" mean?

"Settle arrears" means to pay off debts that are overdue or outstanding. It involves resolving financial obligations that have not been met on time.

How can I "settle arrears" if I don't have enough money?

If you're struggling to "settle arrears", consider negotiating a payment plan with the creditor, seeking financial counseling, or exploring debt consolidation options.

What are some alternatives to saying "settle arrears"?

You can use alternatives like "pay off overdue payments", "clear outstanding debts", or "resolve outstanding balances".

What happens if I don't "settle arrears"?

Failure to "settle arrears" can lead to late fees, damage to your credit score, collection agency involvement, and legal action, such as lawsuits or wage garnishments.