1. The problem is to find the result of the subtraction $53 - 149$. 2. The formula for subtraction is $a - b$, where $a$ and $b$ are numbers. 3. Here, $a = 53$ and $b = 149$. 4. Since $53$ is less than $149$, the result will be negative. 5. Calculate the difference: $$149 - 53 = 96$$ 6. Therefore, $$53 - 149 = -96$$ The final answer is $-96$.