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​Subtraction indicators

The different types of subtraction in cryptic crossword clues, and how to recognise them.
Solve cryptic clues by recognising indicators for:
  • general subtraction
  • subtracting and using the first letter
  • subtracting and using the last letter
  • subtracting outside letters 
  • subtracting centre letters 
  • subtracting specific letters

These lists include base words. Change the form of base words to find more indicators.

General subtraction indicators

abandon
abolish
abridge
absent
all but
aside
avoid
away
ban
bar
brief
but
cancel
cast
censor
chop
chuck
clip
contract
cut
deficit
delete
depart
deport
depose
deprive
desert
diminish
diminutive
disappear
discard
discharge
discount
dislodge
dismiss
displace
​dispose
​disregard
​
distant from
ditch
drawn
drop
dump
efface
​eject
emigrate
erase
escape
eschew
evade
​evict
except
expel
export
express
extract
exude
​filter
flee
fly
forfeit
forget
​forgo
fraction
free
from
get shot of
give away
go
going out
hasn't
ignore
inadequate
jilt
​kick
​lack
​leave
​left

less
let off
lift
lose
minus
miss
missing
most
no
no longer associated
​not
not getting
not half
off
offload
omit
oust
out
overlook 
partial
percentage
pinch
pluck
put out
quell
reduce
reject
release
relinquish
remove
renounce
repel 
​retreat from
​revoke
​
rid
sacrifice
scrap
scratch
scrub
semi
​sequester
shave
shed
short
shun
shut out
skip
spew
spurn
stolen
strike
strip
subtract
suppress
surrender
take
throw away
toss aside
trimmed
unobserved
unseen
unwelcome
​vanish
want
wasting
wipe
withdraw
​withhold
without

Subtract first letter

after the first
after the start
bareheaded
behead
blow roof off
blowing top
cap off
decapitate
depose leader
dismiss opener
don’t start
except for leader
fail at first
fail to start
first cut
​first off
guillotine
head away
head off
headless
ignore leader
initially down
initially going
initially rejected
initially un-
lead away
​left wing lost
lift the lid
lose head
mouth off
need no introduction
no opening
non-starter
not initially
not originally
not primarily
not starting
oust leader
pollard
refuse starter
remove lid
remove top
scratch head
​shave head
skip preliminaries
start off
strike head
tip off
top off
topless
topped
topping
unopened
without opening
won't start

Use first letter only

apex
base

beginning
bonnet
​debut

entrance
first
first letter
first signs
fore
front
head

heading
inaugural
incipient
initial
initiate
introduction
​leader
leading
left

maiden
mouth
onset
opener
opening
origin
originally
​
primarily​
​prime 

principal
source
start
starter
top 
​western border

Subtract last letter

almost
backless
brief
curtail
cut off
detail
dock
drop behind
endless
finish off
footloose
for the most part
frayed

inconclusive
interminable
​kicking heels

limited
Manx
mostly
​no end
non stop
not entirely

not quite
not wholly
outlast
remove cap
right wing lost

sawn-off
scratch bottom
scrub back
​​short
​snub

spineless
trim
ultimately wanting
unfinished
​virtually

want closure
wipe bottom

Use last letter only

back
by all conclusions
close
conclude
​eastern border

end
final
final signs
finale
finish 

hem
last
last bit of
​nether
right
terminal 
terminus
tip

Subtract outside letters

avoid extremes
banks withdraw
bare

bilateral erosion
bones
case dismissed
centre
clipped
content to be left

contents
core (noun)
discover
disrobe
​edges away

ends cut off
​essence
essentially
​extremely deficient
filling
​guts

heart
heartily
innards

insides
interior
interminable
internal parts
mid
middle
​naked 

no frills
no margins
not extreme
nucleus
nude
off limits
​out of bounds
peel (verb)
remove clothes
remove outer layers
shed skin
​skinned
stomach
stripped
​stuffing
​take off coat
​unconfined
uncover
undressed
unlimited
unrestricted
unwrap
wings off
without cover

Subtract centre letters

after vacation
banks
borders
boundaries
case
coat
​content to leave
core (verb)
covering
crusts
curtains
discontented
disembowelled
disheartened
edges
empty
​ends
evacuate
eviscerate
excavate
exterior
extreme
extreme elements
​flanks
fringes
gutless
gutted
half-hearted
heartless
hollow
in extremis
inside out
left and right
less stuffing
limits
lips
​lose heart
marginal
margins
outlying
outside
outsiders
outskirts
peel (noun)
​periphery
pitted
remove filling
rim
​rind
​shell
​
​shoulders
​​sides
​skin
skirts
stuffing knocked out
surface
tips
vacant
vacation
vacuous
vacuum
​void
walls
wings

Subtract alternate letters

alternate
even
every other

every so often
ignore the odds
now and then

occasionally
od
d
odd pieces
periodically
regular
​
regularly ignored

Subtract specific letter

a - get rid of a
a - give up a
a - not top grade
a - missing a
a - want a
​a - withhold a
a - without a
b - black
b - leave behind
b - no boy
c - about to leave
c - cold deserts
c - less cold
c - lost cape
c - not about
c - not cold
c - reportedly seagoing
d - drop Latin
d - miss date
d - no daughter
d - not dead
​d - stolen diamond
e - drug-free
e - exude energy
​e - going east
e - lose energy
e - out east
​e - point taken
e - pointless
e - take drug
f - without force
​g - no girl
​g - not good
g - waste $1000
h - ditch husband
h - drug-free
i - I dropped
i - I leave
i - I quit
i - iodine deficient
​i - lack interest
i - not on
i - one leaves
i - one missing
i - one's excused
i - revoke independence
i - selfless
i - without one
l - drop Latin
l - left off
l - left out
l - lose weight
l - losing side
l - release line
m - distance from
m - maiden flight
m -  man refused
m - not married
m - no man
​n - going north
​n - name-dropping
n - nameless
​n - point taken
n - pointless
​n - put any number off
n - unnamed
o - dropout
o - exude love
​o - lost round
o - love to escape
o - loveless
o - nonetheless

o - not old
o - nothing going
o - nothing left
o - nothing less
o - nothing missing
o - unloved
o - wipeout

p - cede power
​p - go quietly

p - lose pressure
p - missing page
p - no power
p - no pressure
p - penniless
​
p - powerless
​r - lack of resistance
r - losing side
r - no right
r - not right
r - right away
r - run away
r - run off
r - run out
r - drop resistance
s - abandon society
​s - avoid double bend
​s - going south
s - lose shilling
​s - no son
s - point taken

s - pointless
t - knock time off
t - lose time
t - no time
t - short of time
t - spend time
t - square off
t - take tea
​t - temperature dropping

t - time off
t - timeless
t - waste time

u - leave university
u - university dropout
v - not very
w - ditch wife
​w - going west
​w - lose weight

w - no woman
w - non-Western
w - not with
​w - point taken

w - pointless
w - wife leaves
w - without
w - woman refused
x - no mark 
y - not unknown
y - why not
z - not unknown

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