subtract
verb (used with object)
to withdraw or take away, as a part from a whole.
was subtracting
-
past progressiveof subtract.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I didn’t want it to seem like my vanity or self-indulgence was subtracting from the emotion of the story.
From New York Times ● Aug. 5, 2020
Over and over I tried to subtract the numbers, but I didn’t want to do it on paper because I didn’t want Mom and Dad to know I was subtracting, so it was hard.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Adding is a division of three and one and that would make four if all of adding was subtracting.
From Matisse Picasso and Gertrude Stein With Two Shorter Stories by Gertrude Stein
