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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subtraction
Imports are a subtraction in the GDP calculation, which also includes investment, public expenditure and exports.
—
Tobias Burns, The Hill, 26 June 2025
The Red Sox seemed to have achieved some addition by subtraction by dealing franchise slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants several weeks ago.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
As Heritage Board Chairman Barb Gaby and President Kevin Roberts wrote in their note to staff, alumni, and the many friends gained over the past 52 years:
Ed believed in addition, not subtraction.
—Bridget Weisenburger, National Review, 25 July 2025
To a Washington bean counter, his loss might have looked like one tiny but welcome subtraction in a giant spreadsheet, but not in a region so prone to these perilous events that it’s known as Flash Flood Alley.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Tobias Burns, The Hill, 26 June 2025
The Red Sox seemed to have achieved some addition by subtraction by dealing franchise slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants several weeks ago.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
As Heritage Board Chairman Barb Gaby and President Kevin Roberts wrote in their note to staff, alumni, and the many friends gained over the past 52 years:
Ed believed in addition, not subtraction.
—Bridget Weisenburger, National Review, 25 July 2025
To a Washington bean counter, his loss might have looked like one tiny but welcome subtraction in a giant spreadsheet, but not in a region so prone to these perilous events that it’s known as Flash Flood Alley.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtraction
Noun
-
So the taxpayers in CFM lost their deduction, but what about penalties?—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Part of that is due to the increase in the standard deduction for those age 65 and older from 2025 through 2028.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The long-term market rates continued to surge upwards, bolting higher with each rate reduction.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Its acting Chief Financial Officer, John Arnold, said the school was planning a budget reduction, layoffs, administrative centralization and a reset of athletics spending.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subtraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtraction. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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