subtract
verb
sub·tract
səb-ˈtrakt 
subtracted; subtracting; subtracts
: to take away by or as if by deducting
subtract 5 from 9
subtract funds from the project
: to perform a subtraction
subtracter
noun
Examples of subtract in a Sentence
if you subtract 10 from 23, you get 13
you can subtract the time you spent daydreaming from your total homework time
Recent Examples on the Web
To estimate your optimal heart rate zone for exercise, start by subtracting your age from 220 to get your maximum heart rate.
—
Cyra-Lea Drummond, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2025
Add pasta to the pot and cook until just shy of al dente (check package directions and subtract a minute or so).
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
Apple isn’t the first to subtract the plus sign from its streaming platform.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
But in an Akan language, the notion that an object could exist as a bare substrate, stripped of properties—say, the idea of a stone, with its weight, texture, and color subtracted—is basically unintelligible; the metaphysical split between a thing and its properties isn’t naturally expressible.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtract
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Cyra-Lea Drummond, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2025
Add pasta to the pot and cook until just shy of al dente (check package directions and subtract a minute or so).
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
Apple isn’t the first to subtract the plus sign from its streaming platform.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
But in an Akan language, the notion that an object could exist as a bare substrate, stripped of properties—say, the idea of a stone, with its weight, texture, and color subtracted—is basically unintelligible; the metaphysical split between a thing and its properties isn’t naturally expressible.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtract
Cite this Entry
“Subtract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtract. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subtract
verb
sub·tract
səb-ˈtrakt
1
: to take away (as one part or number) from another : deduct
subtract 5 from 9
2
: to perform a subtraction
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