minus 1 of 2

noun

Definition of minusnext
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success a plan with lots of pluses and only a few minuses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

minus

2 of 2

preposition

ˈmī-nəs How to pronounce minus (audio)
as in without
not having the contraption was like a giant carousel minus the horses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of minus
Noun
But the upside of Myers — and his four rings from Golden State — speaking directly to Paul outweighed the potential minuses. — David Aldridge, New York Times, 25 July 2026 Despite all of that, Karaban did finish plus-12, the highest plus-minus total on the team. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026
Preposition
That includes a freezer at minus 150 degrees Celsius, equal to minus 238 degrees Fahrenheit — colder than the average temperature of Saturn, a planet 793 million miles further away from the sun than Earth. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 27 July 2026 As a result, the new organic solar cells could handle a breakdown voltage of more than minus 35 volts. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for minus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minus
  1. disadvantage
  2. without
  3. handicap
  4. negative
  5. downside
Noun
  • Despite being at a size disadvantage against the 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso, the undersized Valkyries rolled past the Chicago Sky 91-71.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Restricting conference realignment could put UM at a financial disadvantage.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of disadvantage
Preposition
  • As Amziah demonstrates during this lesson, the queen is the center of the universe, and without her, the colony would collapse.
    — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Siri, batting for Josh Lowe, tied it 2-all with his RBI double to left-center and stole third without a throw.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of without
Noun
  • As for the 15 handicap, their biggest fear would be losing both golf balls and having to embarrassingly ask their playing partner for a spare.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Even using that handicap, however, this El Niño is on track to be unprecedented.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of handicap
Noun
  • Balancing those positives and negatives takes careful architecture between the data, the AI and the business strategy.
    — James Loffler, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Ament revisited his archive of decomposing negatives with his brother, designer Barry Ament, a few years ago.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2026
Definition of negative
Noun
  • Outside money may only show up because Nvidia is willing to cover part of the downside.
    — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to varying success rates of pregnancy later on, other potential downsides to egg freezing include financial barriers and some minor procedural risks.
    — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of downside

Phrases Containing minus

Browse Nearby Words

mints
minus
minuscule
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Minus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minus. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on minus

Nglish: Translation of minus for Spanish Speakers

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