owe
verb (used with object)
to be under obligation to pay or repay.
have owed
-
present perfectof owe.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
If the stock falls, however, there is a risk they could have paid taxes they wouldn’t have owed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
If Aley had applied those standards to her project, rather than relying on the arborist’s recommendation, she would have owed the state about $22,109, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2025
Had that late fee rate remained without a cap, the borrower would have owed roughly $430.
From New York Times ● Jul. 9, 2023
Say this is not an excuse for vanishing, merely an explanation that you have owed her from the beginning.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 23, 2022
Wouter Van Twiller, nephew of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, must have owed his appointment as Director to family influence, since neither his career nor his reputation justified the choice.
From Dutch and English on the Hudson A Chronicle of Colonial New York by Maud Wilder Goodwin
