as in deduction
the act or an instance of taking away from a total
the restaurant may not have raised the price, but there's definitely been a subtraction in the number of fries in a side order
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Recent Examples of subtraction
And the Yankees can hope for a little addition by subtraction in their next series, as manager Aaron Boone seems to have finally recognized that Jose Caballero is an upgrade over Anthony Volpe at the shortstop position.
—
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Nohl Williams Key subtractions: WR DeAndre Hopkins, G Joe Thuney, DT Tershawn Wharton, S Justin Reid
Looking ahead: No 15-win conference champion was ever scrutinized more than the Chiefs last year, but that’s what happens when the expectations are Super Bowl or bust.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
One alteration by addition begs another by subtraction: The recap strangely excludes all footage of Project Butterfly, the bad guys who dominated Season 1, even though Season 2 does acknowledge the dismissal of its leader, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
Imports are a subtraction in the GDP calculation.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Nohl Williams Key subtractions: WR DeAndre Hopkins, G Joe Thuney, DT Tershawn Wharton, S Justin Reid
Looking ahead: No 15-win conference champion was ever scrutinized more than the Chiefs last year, but that’s what happens when the expectations are Super Bowl or bust.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
One alteration by addition begs another by subtraction: The recap strangely excludes all footage of Project Butterfly, the bad guys who dominated Season 1, even though Season 2 does acknowledge the dismissal of its leader, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2025
Imports are a subtraction in the GDP calculation.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtraction
Noun
-
Due to a coding error, a previous version of this interactive calculator incorrectly calculated certain taxes when an income, minus the standard deduction, equalled the ceiling of a particular tax bracket.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
22 Oct. 2025
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The $85 million settlement fund will be distributed to qualified class members after deductions for fees, expenses and taxes.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Takaichi agreed to back JIP policies such as a reduction in parliamentary seats, free high school education and a two-year pause on food consumption tax, according to Reuters.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
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The fields will also be reduced, thanks to new membership reduction measures that take effect next January.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subtraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtraction. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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