minus 1 of 2

noun

Definition of minusnext
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success a plan with lots of pluses and only a few minuses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

minus

2 of 2

preposition

ˈmī-nəs How to pronounce minus (audio)
as in without
not having the contraption was like a giant carousel minus the horses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of minus
Noun
But the upside of Myers — and his four rings from Golden State — speaking directly to Paul outweighed the potential minuses. — David Aldridge, New York Times, 25 July 2026 Despite all of that, Karaban did finish plus-12, the highest plus-minus total on the team. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026
Preposition
At barnyard-chic Le Garde Champêtre, Japanese chef Kazuya Miyashita weaves the organic vegetable garden’s produce into farm-to-table plates minus the fuss—simply smoked and cooked around the fire. — Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Aug. 2026 Filming ran 115 days across 11 cities, including Patiala, Gwalior, Chandigarh and Bikaner, encompassing more than 100 locations, 190 speaking parts and temperatures ranging from minus 20 to over 40 degrees Celsius. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for minus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minus
  1. disadvantage
  2. without
  3. handicap
  4. negative
  5. downside
Noun
  • Behind a slew of Burton buckets, the Valkyries were able to slim the disadvantage to 54-41 by the end of the third quarter.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Democrats face fundraising disadvantages compared with Republicans, along with financial debt, and Martin has confronted criticism over his stewardship of the party.
    — Mike Catalini, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of disadvantage
Preposition
  • These resorts make relaxation as easy as possible, without losing sight of what makes each locale worth visiting and offering plenty of opportunities for those looking to experience what makes the destination special.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The federal law generally prohibits schools that receive federal education funding from disclosing personally identifiable information from a student's education records without a parent's or guardian's consent, except in limited circumstances.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of without
Noun
  • Tragically, Alice’s shower trauma turns out to be a big handicap for her in her pursuit of Catherine’s trust.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The golfers partnered up and were divided into four groups based on their handicap.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of handicap
Noun
  • By refusing to dwell solely on the negatives and problems, Lopez said positive reappraisal can help people be more nimble, flexible and adaptive to challenges.
    — Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Mixed Fed signals add another risk George Saravelos, global head of FX research at Deutsche Bank, said uncertainty about the Fed's inflation reaction function adds another potential negative for the dollar.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of negative
Noun
  • An alarming downside is that this openly spurs an AI to potentially wreak havoc and commit cyberattacks throughout the Internet, even though it is seemingly only being tested.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Perhaps all of this is overly negative, and the downsides of these collective risks have been overemphasised.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of downside

Phrases Containing minus

Browse Nearby Words

mints
minus
minuscule
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minus. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on minus

Nglish: Translation of minus for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All