owe
verb (used with object)
to be under obligation to pay or repay.
was owing
-
past progressiveof owe.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Both companies said the pickup in capex was owing to overwhelming demand.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 9, 2026
Investor euphoria was owing partly to relief, as the Milei reforms of the last two years appear to be safe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
You mentioned your productivity was owing to your daily routine, which typically includes playing golf.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2024
Some of this was owing to the U.S. recession and the European debt crisis, some of it to Argentina’s continued trouble with U.S. courts over debt owed to American hedge funds.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 31, 2015
This was owing largely to the eleven years she had spent caring for her invalid mother, which had left her with some proficiency as a nurse and an inability to face strong sunlight without blinking.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
