subtract

1 of 2

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

subtracter

2 of 2

noun

sub·​tract·​er

-ktə(r)

plural -s

: one that subtracts

Synonyms of subtract

Verb

• deduct

Examples of subtract in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

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

Take your current hours per proposal, subtract what the pilot achieved and multiply by the number of proposals your firm submits per year. — Mark Orttung, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Vitae and Willpower/Health merge into a single resource, Difficulty subtracts dice from a pool rather than raising a target number, and players roll nearly all of the dice at the table. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 July 2026

Days later, the contract was amended with one change, subtracting a single dollar, dropping it to $249,999 — one dollar below the threshold requiring City Council approval. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

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