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
Well, that Memphis sub has earned its place in this lineup. Jack Baruth, Popular Mechanics, 6 Sep. 2023 According to a press release, customers who receive a special coupon before the opening can make a minimum $3 contribution to Lighthouse Youth and Family Services in exchange for a regular sub. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2023 After playing subs for most of the second half in its first two games, Oregon State was pressed to the finish Saturday. Ndaschel, oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2023 With a few clever subs, associate food editor Rachel Gurjar employs many of the same principles as pasta alla vodka to inform this riff, resulting in a bowl of spaghetti with even more flavor. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 2 Sep. 2023 Firehouse is offering a free medium sub with purchase of a medium or large sub, chips, and drink on September 4. Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 1 Sep. 2023 Regardless, there’s a growing argument that subs can no longer hide in the quiet, and instead may have to operate in a sea of noise. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 31 Aug. 2023 The sub has little trouble blowing the steamship out of the water, but that leaves 26 Belgian soldiers stranded in a pair of lifeboats. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023 This sub features pepperoni, salami, turkey, ham, roast beef, double provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, mayonnaise and Subway’s MVP vinaigrette. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2023
Verb
Ertz subbed out in the 35th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd at TQL Stadium, shorty after Trinity Rodman’s goal that made it 2-0. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023 Just to be safe, maybe one of our other portable tailgate recipes could sub in a pinch. Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2023 For a mocktail version, sub the alcohol for seltzer and enjoy! Blake Bakkila, Sunset Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023 For example, subbing beans for chicken in a vegetable stir-fry once a week could save roughly $400 annually and meet your protein quota. Leslie Goldman, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2023 Megan Rapinoe subbed in by Coach Vlatko Andonovski for Alex Morgan. NBC News, 6 Aug. 2023 Cristhian Paredes picked up a yellow card in the 82nd minute for Portland, soon after subbed off for newcomer Antony. oregonlive, 10 Sep. 2023 At times, Alabama didn’t have its secondary lined up properly after subbing someone on late due to Texas’ hurry-up offense. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 10 Sep. 2023 Kiki Van Zanten didn’t play in those games but did play the first 45 minutes against Colombia before being subbed out. Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023 See More

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 2 Oct. 2023.

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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