as in deducting
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subtracting
Briere said the Flyers' rebuild was entering its next phase, shifting from subtracting players to adding them.
—
Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised data, adding an additional 34,000 jobs to January, showing a growth of 160,000, but subtracting 41,000 from February, showing a loss of 133,000.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Home equity is calculated by subtracting your mortgage balance from your home’s current market value.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
The Phillies will add three to their 40-man roster — Crawford, Moore and Mayza — while subtracting McCambley and Stubbs.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Willis represents a first move of building, not subtracting.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
This chicken is a great recipe to customize to your preferences, adding and subtracting fresh veggies to suit your taste.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
It was calculated by subtracting the average net price of the school according to College Scorecard, or the average cost to those receiving financial aid, from the average earnings each year after enrollment.
—Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Heating Degree Days are calculated by taking the day's high temperature and adding it to the day's low temperature, then dividing by 2 and subtracting that value from 65.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised data, adding an additional 34,000 jobs to January, showing a growth of 160,000, but subtracting 41,000 from February, showing a loss of 133,000.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Home equity is calculated by subtracting your mortgage balance from your home’s current market value.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
The Phillies will add three to their 40-man roster — Crawford, Moore and Mayza — while subtracting McCambley and Stubbs.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Willis represents a first move of building, not subtracting.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
This chicken is a great recipe to customize to your preferences, adding and subtracting fresh veggies to suit your taste.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
It was calculated by subtracting the average net price of the school according to College Scorecard, or the average cost to those receiving financial aid, from the average earnings each year after enrollment.
—Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Heating Degree Days are calculated by taking the day's high temperature and adding it to the day's low temperature, then dividing by 2 and subtracting that value from 65.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtracting
deducting
Verb
-
That’s because the federal tax code, in section 280E, dictates that companies working with Schedule I or Schedule II substances are prohibited from deducting many standard business expenses.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Gross margin, the percentage of revenue remaining after deducting the cost of production, was 41% in the quarter on an adjusted basis.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subtracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtracting. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
