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

• abate
• deduct
• knock off
• take off

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 most common way to determine heart rate is to subtract a person's age from 220. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2025

The bill would remove tax requirements from tips for service workers and overtime wages whilst also allowing small businesses to subtract 23 percent of qualifying income from taxes. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025

Micron’s free cash flow — cash generated after subtracting capital expenditures — was enough to let the company retire $1 billion in debt. —David Staats, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2025

The metric refers to the ratio of customers who intend to buy more from a brand subtracted from those who plan to buy less. —Amelia Lucas,brandon Gomez, CNBC, 6 May 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