diff --git a/doc/api/axes_api.rst b/doc/api/axes_api.rst
index f389226d907a..030655458c26 100644
--- a/doc/api/axes_api.rst
+++ b/doc/api/axes_api.rst
@@ -620,5 +620,6 @@ Other
    Axes.get_transformed_clip_path_and_affine
    Axes.has_data
    Axes.set
+   Axes.remove
 
 .. autoclass:: matplotlib.axes.Axes.ArtistList
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index 2dd14404c98e..43c4ac70bff0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -1450,16 +1450,10 @@ def subplot(*args, **kwargs) -> Axes:
 
     Notes
     -----
-    Creating a new Axes will delete any preexisting Axes that
-    overlaps with it beyond sharing a boundary::
-
-        import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-        # plot a line, implicitly creating a subplot(111)
-        plt.plot([1, 2, 3])
-        # now create a subplot which represents the top plot of a grid
-        # with 2 rows and 1 column. Since this subplot will overlap the
-        # first, the plot (and its Axes) previously created, will be removed
-        plt.subplot(211)
+    .. versionchanged:: 3.8
+        In versions prior to 3.8, any preexisting Axes that overlap with the new Axes
+        beyond sharing a boundary was deleted. Deletion does not happen in more
+        recent versions anymore. Use `.Axes.remove` explicitly if needed.
 
     If you do not want this behavior, use the `.Figure.add_subplot` method
     or the `.pyplot.axes` function instead.