owe
verb (used with object)
to be under obligation to pay or repay.
had owed
-
past perfectof owe.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to the Guardian, he paid the tax he had owed, as well as a 30% penalty, with the total settlement amounting to £4.8m.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2023
Zahawi paid the back tax he had owed, as well as a 30 percent penalty, with the total settlement amounting to $6 million, the newspaper reported.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 23, 2023
The amount was confidential as part of the agreement, but she said she had owed less than $150,000.
From New York Times ● May 31, 2022
The appeal ruling said the victim’s father allegedly had owed Bennett money.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 5, 2020
The day after the death of Aureliano Segundo, one of the friends who had brought the wreath with the irreverent inscription offered to pay Fernanda some money that he had owed her husband.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
