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

The change in relative Democratic turnout is calculated by subtracting the 2022 level of relative turnout from the 2026 level. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Origination fees An origination fee is a one-time upfront charge that lenders usually subtract from the loan total to pay for administration and processing costs. — Dan Avery,megan Dematteo, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

For example, a family of four with $1,000 in net monthly income would have $300 subtracted from the new $1,023 maximum, leaving the household with $723 in monthly SNAP benefits. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026

This also includes edges of the first type, however, meaning any edges that directly connect two boundary points to each other must, of course, be subtracted to avoid counting them twice. — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 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