diff --git a/.changeset/brown-poets-scream.md b/.changeset/brown-poets-scream.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3532b32c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/brown-poets-scream.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@twind/core': patch
+'@twind/preset-tailwind': patch
+---
+
+properly normalize subtraction followed by a variable (fixes #429)
diff --git a/packages/core/src/rules.ts b/packages/core/src/rules.ts
index 8d39cd9dd..8b980440e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/rules.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/rules.ts
@@ -636,6 +636,7 @@ function camelize(value: string): string {
   return value.replace(/-./g, (x) => x[1].toUpperCase())
 }
 
+const cssVariableRE = /var\((--.+?)[,)]/g
 /**
  * @internal
  * @param value
@@ -662,11 +663,15 @@ export function normalize(value: string): string {
 
       // Add spaces around operators inside math functions like calc() that do not follow an operator
       // or '('.
-      .replace(/(calc|min|max|clamp)\(.+\)/g, (match) =>
-        match.replace(
-          /(-?\d*\.?\d(?!\b-.+[,)](?![^+\-/*])\D)(?:%|[a-z]+)?|\))([+\-/*])/g,
-          '$1 $2 ',
-        ),
-      )
+      .replace(/(calc|min|max|clamp)\(.+\)/g, (match) => {
+        const vars: string[] = []
+        return match
+          .replace(cssVariableRE, (match, g1) => {
+            vars.push(g1)
+            return match.replace(g1, '--v')
+          })
+          .replace(/(-?\d*\.?\d(?!\b-\d.+[,)](?![^+\-/*])\D)(?:%|[a-z]+)?|\))([+\-/*])/g, '$1 $2 ')
+          .replace(cssVariableRE, (match, g1) => match.replace(g1, vars.shift() as string))
+      })
   )
 }
diff --git a/packages/preset-tailwind/src/rules.test.json b/packages/preset-tailwind/src/rules.test.json
index 4f7fc531d..d5d69f9ef 100644
--- a/packages/preset-tailwind/src/rules.test.json
+++ b/packages/preset-tailwind/src/rules.test.json
@@ -1095,6 +1095,9 @@
   "w-[calc((100%+2rem)/2)]": ".w-\\[calc\\(\\(100\\%\\+2rem\\)\\/2\\)\\]{width:calc((100% + 2rem) / 2)}",
   "w-[calc(var(--index,1)*0.2s)]": ".w-\\[calc\\(var\\(--index\\,1\\)\\*0\\.2s\\)\\]{width:calc(var(--index,1) * 0.2s)}",
   "w-[calc(var(--index)*0.2s)]": ".w-\\[calc\\(var\\(--index\\)\\*0\\.2s\\)\\]{width:calc(var(--index) * 0.2s)}",
+  "w-[calc(1-var(--something)*0.5)]": ".w-\\[calc\\(1-var\\(--something\\)\\*0\\.5\\)\\]{width:calc(1 - var(--something) * 0.5)}",
+  "w-[calc(1-(var(--something)*0.5))]": ".w-\\[calc\\(1-\\(var\\(--something\\)\\*0\\.5\\)\\)\\]{width:calc(1 - (var(--something) * 0.5))}",
+  "w-[calc(1-((12-3)*0.5))]": ".w-\\[calc\\(1-\\(\\(12-3\\)\\*0\\.5\\)\\)\\]{width:calc(1 - ((12 - 3) * 0.5))}",
   "bg-[#1da1f2]": ".bg-\\[\\#1da1f2\\]{--tw-bg-opacity:1;background-color:rgba(29,161,242,var(--tw-bg-opacity))}",
   "translate-x-[-650px]": [
     "*,::before,::after,::backdrop{--tw-translate-x:0;--tw-translate-y:0;--tw-rotate:0;--tw-skew-x:0;--tw-skew-y:0;--tw-scale-x:1;--tw-scale-y:1;--tw-transform:translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y))}",