Does the associative property work over subtraction

No it does not. The associative property works with all addition problems but does not on subtraction problems. An example is that 3 - (5-4) = (3-5) - 4. The first expression equals 3-1, which is 4, while the second equals - 2-4, which is - 6.

Use the associative property to change the grouping in an algebraic expression to make the work tidier or more convenient. Just keep in mind that you can use the associative property with addition and multiplication operations, but not subtraction or division, except in a few special cases