subbed; subbing
: to act as a substitute
1
subaltern
2
subscription
3
subsidiary
4
suburb
1
: under : beneath : below
subsoil
subaqueous
2
a
: subordinate : secondary : next lower than or inferior to
substation
subeditor
b
: subordinate portion of : subdivision of
subcommittee
subspecies
c
: with repetition (as of a process) so as to form, stress, or deal with subordinate parts or relations
sublet
subcontract
3
: less than completely, perfectly, or normally : somewhat
subacute
subclinical
4
a
: almost : nearly
suberect
b
: falling nearly in the category of and often adjoining : bordering on
subarctic
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- backup
- cover
- designated hitter
- fill-in
- locum tenens
- pinch hitter
- relief
- replacement
- reserve
- stand-in
- substitute
Verb
Noun (2)
Examples of sub in a Sentence
Noun (1)
we had a sub in English today, so we didn't get our test results back
Verb
Smith subbed for Jones at halftime.
subbing in a Broadway play
Smith subbed Jones at halftime.
Noun (2)
we shared a tuna sub at lunch
Recent Examples on the Web
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2024
Customers in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and New York City who bought a footlong sub were able to snag a free footlong cookie as part of the preview, the company said.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Wilson’s Aces teammates all celebrated and embraced the 28-year-old after she was subbed out of the game after breaking the single season points record.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sub 
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Noun
In August, the two companies announced an extension to their current agreement so that all Canal+ subs can access Paramount+ free of charge.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2024
Customers in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and New York City who bought a footlong sub were able to snag a free footlong cookie as part of the preview, the company said.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
When Rush subbed in for the starter at the top of the 2022 season, CBS still managed to scare up a massive 27.39 million viewers for Dallas’ 20-17 win over Cincinnati.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Wilson’s Aces teammates all celebrated and embraced the 28-year-old after she was subbed out of the game after breaking the single season points record.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 15 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sub
Dictionary Entries Near sub
Cite this Entry
“Sub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sub. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sub
1 of 4 nounsub
2 of 4 verb
subbed; subbing
: to act as a substitute
sub
3 of 4 nounsub-
4 of 4 prefix1
: under : beneath : below
subsoil
subfreezing
2
a
: being at a lower rank or secondary level
substation
b
: division or lesser part of
subcommittee
subtopic
c
: involving a secondary stage or process
sublet
subcontract
3
: less than completely, perfectly, or typically : somewhat
subdominant
4
: bordering upon
subarctic
Etymology
Prefix
from Latin sub- "under, below"
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