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

The business survey provides data on pay, hours worked and the number of jobs the US economy added or subtracted. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025

Under the definition of GDP, exports are added, and imports are subtracted from the total because the former are considered a product of the national economy, and the latter are expenditures that aren’t domestic products. —Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

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

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