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 then, in a salary dump that could have been viewed as addition by subtraction, the Mets sent infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for a minor league pitcher.
—
Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
However, the small subtraction made the shorter version feel even sleeker.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Recipients in some states qualify for a Social Security income subtraction when filing their state tax return.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
But if Brown is that unhappy with his status on the team, perhaps moving him would be addition by subtraction, as Florio suggested.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
However, the small subtraction made the shorter version feel even sleeker.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Recipients in some states qualify for a Social Security income subtraction when filing their state tax return.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
But if Brown is that unhappy with his status on the team, perhaps moving him would be addition by subtraction, as Florio suggested.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtraction
Noun
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The deduction was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which also removed taxes on tips and overtime for qualifying workers, and — relevant to new car shoppers — eliminated a tax credit for buying electric vehicles.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
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The new law eliminated taxes on some overtime and tipped income, and raised the limit on the deduction for state and local taxes, or SALT, from $10,000 to $40,000.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The crowd reduction measures the city had touted in weeks prior were in full effect Saturday — restrictions on parking, heavy police presence and checkpoints.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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After beta blockers’ approval in 1976, reductions in hypertension and cardiac disease were equal across income levels — the medication bridged the gap that behavioral interventions couldn’t.—
Alison Sexton Ward,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subtraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtraction. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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