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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of minus
Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
That’s whether your league counts goals as 3 points or 5 points, plus-minus as 1, power play points… whatever your settings are, they can be adjusted.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Today, House Republicans, who have already approved a government funding bill minus the Democratic demands, said the liberal base is keeping its boot on the neck of Senate Democrats and blocking negotiations, as the poll suggests.
—Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minus
Noun
Magic guard Desmond Bane, who specifically pointed out that Richardson ended with a team-best plus-minus rating of plus-14 against Indiana, saw firsthand over the summer the type of player the rookie could be for Orlando.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
That’s whether your league counts goals as 3 points or 5 points, plus-minus as 1, power play points… whatever your settings are, they can be adjusted.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Preposition
Indeed, the market was valuing the remaining (profitable) 3Com business at minus $22 billion!
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Today, House Republicans, who have already approved a government funding bill minus the Democratic demands, said the liberal base is keeping its boot on the neck of Senate Democrats and blocking negotiations, as the poll suggests.
—Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minus
Noun
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But without Cooper, Willams and Patton, the Cyclones will be at a severe personnel disadvantage.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
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Hoffman acknowledged that the developers of data centers have been prone to operate in secret out of their concern of putting clients at a competitive disadvantage compared with rival companies.—
Peter Passi,
Twin Cities,
6 Nov. 2025
Preposition
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For millions across China, especially those who watch the US from a fascinated digital distance, Chen became a one-man portal into the American presidency, without the clunky geopolitical baggage.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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Yet without a single footwork adjustment, Cherki trots up and nonchalantly whips a half-volley into the top corner.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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While Benthaus was the first person with a significant physical handicap to fly in space, European Space Agency astronaut John McFall, who has a prosthetic leg, has been cleared for selection to a future flight to the International Space Station.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
20 Dec. 2025
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There were 13 handicap spaces spread around the auditoriums at Regal Falls.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The Los Angeles Dodgers became MLB's first back-to-back champions in a quarter-century, but many around the baseball world see this as a negative.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Managing Real Madrid means dealing with superstar players — with all the positives and negatives that can bring.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There are some vivid downsides to college sports’ new NIL era, but net-net, things seem so much healthier when much of it comes down to a school’s willingness to spend.—
Dan Shanoff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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But there can be downsides to working the proverbial room as well.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minus. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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