Meaning & use

subtraction words

phrase·Everyday

Words in a math problem, such as minus, difference, or less, that signal a subtraction operation.

See it in a sentence

Students learned to spot subtraction words like 'fewer' and 'remain' in word problems.

The worksheet highlighted subtraction words to help children choose the right operation.

A note on using this word

Recognizing subtraction words helps students translate word problems into number sentences during early math instruction.

Words with a similar meaning

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