as in submarine
a large sandwich on a long split roll
we shared a tuna sub at lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in substitute
a person or thing that takes the place of another
we had a sub in English today, so we didn't get our test results back
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
the weekend anchor is subbing for the station's main anchor all this week she subbed for middle school teachers in the district as needed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sub
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Both defenses want to live in sub personnel (five or more defensive backs) and play light boxes.
—Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Jacob Sanchez is making his worlds debut at 18 years old, after a last-minute call to sub in for Jason Brown.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sub
Noun
Park service sources and advocates describe all this as part of a broader effort to centralize communications from sub-agencies to the Department of the Interior.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Both defenses want to live in sub personnel (five or more defensive backs) and play light boxes.
—Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Plus, the Herro and Powell minutes likely will continue to be as staggered as when one started and one played in reserve, with Herro subbed out midway through Wednesday night’s first quarter.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Jacob Sanchez is making his worlds debut at 18 years old, after a last-minute call to sub in for Jason Brown.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sub
substitute
Verb
-
One way to do both is to occasionally substitute tofu, a nutritious curd made from mashed soybeans, for meat in your weekly menu.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
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The court found the authority had exceeded its authority by substituting its view of the public interest for that of the state Legislature.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sub. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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