subtract

verb

sub·​tract səb-ˈtrakt 

subtracted; subtracting; subtracts

transitive verb

: to take away by or as if by deducting

subtract 5 from 9

subtract funds from the project

intransitive verb

: to perform a subtraction

subtracter noun

Synonyms of subtract

• deduct

Examples of subtract in a Sentence

if you subtract 10 from 23, you get 13

you can subtract the time you spent daydreaming from your total homework time

Recent Examples on the Web

Scientists subtract the temperature anomalies in the rest of the tropical Pacific from those in the region most important for El Niño. —Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026

It was calculated by subtracting the average net price of the school according to College Scorecard, or the average cost to those receiving financial aid, from the average earnings each year after enrollment. —Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026

For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, 65% of the amount of Social Security benefits received and included in federal AGI may be subtracted. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026

In 2025, the BLS subtracted almost 600,000 jobs from the 2024 total employment gain. —Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 11 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin subtractus, past participle of subtrahere to draw from beneath, withdraw, from sub- + trahere to draw

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for subtract

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact

Kids Definition

subtract

verb

sub·​tract səb-ˈtrakt 

1

: to take away (as one part or number) from another : deduct

subtract 5 from 9

2

: to perform a subtraction