sub

1 of 5

noun (1)

sub

2 of 5

verb

subbed; subbing

intransitive verb

: to act as a substitute

transitive verb

1
British : to read and edit as a copy editor : subedit
2

sub

3 of 5

noun (2)

sub

4 of 5

abbreviation

1
subaltern
2
subscription
3
subsidiary
4
suburb

sub-

5 of 5

prefix

1
: under : beneath : below
subsoil
subaqueous
2
a
: subordinate : secondary : next lower than or inferior to
substation
subeditor
b
: subordinate portion of : subdivision of
subcommittee
subspecies
c
: with repetition (as of a process) so as to form, stress, or deal with subordinate parts or relations
sublet
subcontract
3
: less than completely, perfectly, or normally : somewhat
subacute
subclinical
4
a
: almost : nearly
suberect
b
: falling nearly in the category of and often adjoining : bordering on
subarctic

Examples of sub in a Sentence

Verb Smith subbed for Jones at halftime. subbing in a Broadway play Smith subbed Jones at halftime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Serial churners have grown from 2020 to 2023 from 6% to 22% of all streaming subs. Howard Homonoff, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 In the second half, Austin FC got its footing, but a trio of young Minnesota subs combined on Alejandro Bran’s goal in the 91st minute. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2024 Mass subs came in during the 71st minute, including: Jordan Abedayo-Smith, Loic Mesanvi, Moses Nyeman, Carlos Harvey, Wil Trapp, Devin Padelford, Hugo Bacharach, Zarek Valentin, Derek Dodson and Weah. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024 Pub subs and sports partnerships like the Cats arrangement go together like Taylor Swift and the NFL. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2024 The fast-casual restaurants’ cooks will also make fresh pasta as well as salads, wings, meatball sub sandwiches and other pizza parlor bites. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 3 Feb. 2024 At Hulu, Disney saw a lift from 43.9 million subs to 45.1 million in its streaming-only subscriptions, and an even 4.6 million subscribers to its Live TV + SVOD option. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 7 Feb. 2024 Yannick Bright, the first-round draft pick from the University of New Hampshire, came in early as a sub to replace Busquets. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2024 Dutcher had four subs at the scorer’s table and was waiting for the under-16 minute timeout to reattach the wheels. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024
Verb
Lovich subbed in for Diggs in right field in the fourth inning and went 3 for 3 with two RBI. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Holding onto a two-point lead with 33 seconds remaining and needing a defensive stop, Enfield subbed James back in. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 This year: Lobos coach Richard Pitino subbed out Mashburn for more size — 6-5 Fresno State transfer Jemarl Baker — to guard Blackshear. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024 Bigs couldn’t keep the Ducks from crashing the glass and earning extra possessions, a visibly tense Enfield waving his finger to the end of the bench to sub in Page and Morgan after Oregon’s Kwame Evans Jr. grabbed a rebound. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2024 Before that, Lillard had subbed out as part of a staggered lineup in which Antetokounmpo was on the floor without him. Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 The show is set in numerous locations throughout Norway (and Lithuania, subbing in for Russia), from the brutalist architecture of Oslo to quaint villages in the Norwegian countryside. Andrea Duncan-Mao, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2024 The freshman guard from Clarkston subbed in for Cassius Winston and went on a heater, hitting four of five 3-point attempts to match his previous season total — four in 20 tries — in 18 minutes off the bench and finishing with 14 points. Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 31 Jan. 2024 Easy immune booster citrus juice Frozen reconstituted or 100% bottled juice can be subbed for fresh oranges. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Prefix

Middle English, from Latin, under, below, secretly, from below, near, from sub under, close to — more at up

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1777, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sub was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near sub

Cite this Entry

“Sub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sub. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sub

1 of 4 noun

sub

2 of 4 verb
subbed; subbing
: to act as a substitute

sub

3 of 4 noun

sub-

4 of 4 prefix
1
: under : beneath : below
subsoil
subfreezing
2
a
: being at a lower rank or secondary level
substation
b
: division or lesser part of
subcommittee
subtopic
c
: involving a secondary stage or process
sublet
subcontract
3
: less than completely, perfectly, or typically : somewhat
subdominant
4
: bordering upon
subarctic
Etymology

Prefix

from Latin sub- "under, below"

Legal Definition

sub-

prefix
1
: under : beneath : below
substandard
2
a
: subordinate : secondary : next lower than or inferior to
subagent
b
: subordinate portion of : subdivision of
subchapter
subcommittee
c
: assigning to another by the same method
sublicense
subcontract

More from Merriam-Webster on sub

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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