How to subtract in a spreadsheet
✓ Verified in LibreOffice 25.8.7.3Subtract one number or cell from another — there's no SUBTRACT function, and that's by design.
The formula
| App | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Excel | =A2-B2 | Plain minus operator. Subtract a whole range from a value with =A2-SUM(B2:B10). |
| Google Sheets | =A2-B2 | Identical (Sheets also has a MINUS function, but nobody needs it). |
| LibreOffice Calc | =A2-B2 | Identical. |
How it works
Subtraction is just the minus operator: =A2-B2 gives 60. People search for a SUBTRACT function because SUM exists, but arithmetic operators (- * /) are the intended way. To subtract many cells from one starting value, combine with SUM: =A2-SUM(B2:B10). Dates subtract the same way — the result is the number of days between them.
Verified, not just documented
We ran =A2-B2 in LibreOffice 25.8.7.3 (headless, with forced recalculation) and it returned 60 — exactly the expected result. Every formula here is confirmed by actually executing it.