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 form reports gross payments, not your profit, so business owners generally need to subtract deductible business expenses to determine taxable income. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026

That’s after excluding wealth from the top 1% of households, subtracting debts and other liabilities, as well as deducting retirement spending, charitable donations, taxes and fees. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026

When those other detections are subtracted from the total count, the geoneutrino signal from the mantle should be all that’s left. — James Dinneen, Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026

To calculate the final score of each round, subtract the total points scored by the lower scoring team from the points of the higher scoring team. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 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