settled the debt

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "settled the debt" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to the act of paying off or resolving a financial obligation. Example: "After months of negotiations, they finally settled the debt and moved on with their lives."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

One day someone who owed $300 settled the debt with a token payment and 350 hubcaps.

The New Yorker

The debtor had nothing in writing to prove that he had settled the debt.

The New Yorker

I settled the debt with an advance the paper had given me.

The New Yorker

Hearing that San Cristóbal faced closing unless it found €4,000, or $5,176, Raúl wrote the check that settled the debt.

The New York Times - Sports

Rather than press the couple to the wall, Schwab settled the debt by taking title to their home but granting them lifetime occupancy.

The New York Times

Chappell claimed he had "absolutely no idea what was going on" with the property despite describing it to MPs as "my family home" and the fact that the £1.5m payment that settled the debt was paid from his company.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Credit Solutions enrolled 18,000 customers in New York State in the last five years, earning $17 million in fees, but settled the debts of fewer than 2,000 of them, the attorney general said.

The New York Times

This session concerned itself with liquidating the League: it transferred assets worth approximately US$22,000,000 in 1946, (including the Palace of Peace and the League's archives) to the UN, returned reserve funds to the nations that had supplied them, and settled the debts of the League.

Wikipedia

If all else fails, use a credit card to settle the debt with the school.

The New York Times

Mr. Lythcott said the theater expected government loans to settle the debt.

The New York Times - Arts

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority cannot agree on who should settle the debt.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience and choose a synonym if "settled" might be ambiguous or too informal. Alternatives like "discharged" or "liquidated" may be more appropriate in formal or legal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "settled the debt" if the debt was only partially paid or if a payment plan is still in progress. Use phrases like "made a payment on the debt" or "partially settled the debt" to reflect the actual situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "settled the debt" functions as a verb phrase, indicating the action of resolving a financial obligation. Ludwig AI confirms that it is usable in written English when referring to paying off or resolving a debt.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "settled the debt" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate the resolution of a financial obligation. Ludwig AI identifies its proper usage in contexts where a debt has been paid off or resolved through an alternative agreement. While generally neutral, its formality can be adjusted using synonyms like "discharged the debt" (more formal) or "paid off the debt" (less formal). Predominantly found in news and media sources, its clear and concise nature makes it suitable for diverse writing scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

paid off the debt

Replaces "settled" with "paid off", emphasizing the act of complete payment.

repaid the debt

Emphasizes the act of paying back the owed amount.

cleared the debt

Substitutes "settled" with "cleared", highlighting the removal of the debt.

resolved the debt

Replaces "settled" with "resolved", focusing on the solution to the debt problem.

satisfied the debt

Replaces "settled" with "satisfied", indicating the creditor's acceptance of the payment.

discharged the debt

Replaces "settled" with "discharged", a more formal term suggesting legal release from the obligation.

liquidated the debt

Substitutes "settled" with "liquidated", emphasizing the conversion of assets to pay off the debt.

honored the debt

Replaces "settled" with "honored", implying a moral obligation was fulfilled.

defrayed the debt

Uses "defrayed" instead of "settled", meaning to provide money to pay for the debt.

extinguished the debt

Uses "extinguished" in place of "settled", a more dramatic way to express the debt's complete removal.

FAQs

What does "settled the debt" mean?

The phrase "settled the debt" means that a financial obligation has been resolved, typically through payment of the full amount owed, or through an agreed-upon alternative arrangement.

How can I use "settled the debt" in a sentence?

You can use "settled the debt" in a sentence like this: "After years of saving, she finally "settled the debt" with the bank."

What are some alternatives to saying "settled the debt"?

Some alternatives to "settled the debt" include "paid off the debt", "cleared the debt", or "discharged the debt".

Is "settled the debt" formal or informal?

"Settled the debt" is generally considered neutral in formality. Depending on the context, more formal options like "discharged the debt" or less formal options like "paid off the debt" might be more appropriate.