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

• 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

Some would argue that the point of a vacation is to subtract, not add, stress. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025

Boston may not be completely done subtracting pieces, either. —Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025

Find your max heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. —Jakob Roze, Health, 25 Aug. 2025

Additionally, there is still both orbital and spin angular momentum for the electron and proton, and the energy associated with that angular momentum cannot be subtracted away. —Big Think, 22 Aug. 2025

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