as in to deduct
to take away (an amount or number) from a total
if you subtract 10 from 23, you get 13 you can subtract the time you spent daydreaming from your total homework time
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Recent Examples of subtract
Linklater took a more aggressive directorial tack than usual, pushing Hawke to subtract any mannerisms that smacked too much of himself.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Business inventories also shrank, subtracting over three percentage points from GDP.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Politics, however, can’t be subtracted from this equation.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
Reflect on each category, then add or subtract a dollar figure based on the level of impact your job has on that category—positive or negative.
—Renessa Boley Layne, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtract
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Business inventories also shrank, subtracting over three percentage points from GDP.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Politics, however, can’t be subtracted from this equation.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
Reflect on each category, then add or subtract a dollar figure based on the level of impact your job has on that category—positive or negative.
—Renessa Boley Layne, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtract
deduct
Verb
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As viewers know, the judges base their scores on a number of factors, including technique and performance, and can deduct points if performers break any golden dance rules.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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If a customer has no option to disregard or modify the charge, it cannot be deducted from the employee’s income.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subtract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtract. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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