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
Even if the subtraction is being felt hard in some corners of the clubhouse.
—
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The Tribune is tracking the major roster additions, subtractions and announcements of local teams.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
To be sure, Giacometti’s Surrealist compositions had employed absence, subtraction, and ellipsis to stunning effect.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
It’s now owned by Bacardi, and the lineup has seen some additions and subtractions over the past few years.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 May 2026
The Tribune is tracking the major roster additions, subtractions and announcements of local teams.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
To be sure, Giacometti’s Surrealist compositions had employed absence, subtraction, and ellipsis to stunning effect.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
It’s now owned by Bacardi, and the lineup has seen some additions and subtractions over the past few years.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtraction
Noun
-
The footnote in the Bluebook mentions this deduction.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
In 2024, Newcastle risked a double-digit points deduction and so rushed to sell, losing Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh, before being unable to sign a starter.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Months later, after Measure PP’s failure, the council approved over $12 million in budget reductions, which included cuts to the library, parks maintenance staff, and crossing guards.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
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This reduction in size and mass makes the architecture especially attractive for electric vehicle applications, where drivetrain compactness is a critical design constraint.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subtraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtraction. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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