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
Addition by subtraction will be their best bet.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
That subtraction used to have income restrictions and maxed out at $5,000 for individuals 65 and older and $10,000 for couples.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 6 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
That subtraction used to have income restrictions and maxed out at $5,000 for individuals 65 and older and $10,000 for couples.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 6 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for subtraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subtraction
Noun
-
The overtime deduction applies to compensation covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
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And their donors and boosters would no longer be eligible to receive tax deductions for gifting money to a program, just like a regular customer at a restaurant doesn’t receive a tax break for regularly dining there.—
Andrew Urbaczewski,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Construction will then move to East Belknap Street, starting May 11, through June 5, with the same lane reductions in place.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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WaterWorks provides up to $300 annually off total water and sewer bills, a reduction of about 33% for roughly 1,000 customers per year.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subtraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subtraction. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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