national debt

noun

: the total amount of money that the government of a country owes to companies, countries, etc.

Examples of national debt in a Sentence

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Collins and Tillis broke ranks primarily over concerns that the legislation's Medicaid cuts would harm their constituents, while Paul was critical of its massive impact on the national debt. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 In the great debate over how to address the national debt crisis, optimists suggest that expanding the economy is preferable to cutting federal spending. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 2 July 2026 The national debt has been climbing. Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 25 June 2026 Fiscal hawks like to drum up interest in the national debt by making the astronomical numbers more tangible. Martha Gimbel, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for national debt

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“National debt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national%20debt. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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