> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://linuxhandbook.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Delete Lines With Sed - URL: https://linuxhandbook.com/sed-delete-lines/ - Published: 2023-10-18T11:13:51.000Z - Updated: 2023-10-18T11:13:51.000Z - Description: Some common examples of deleting lines with sed command. - Author: Abhishek Prakash - Tags: sed Deleting lines with sed command is quite simple if you understand the trick. And the trick is that it follows this pattern mostly: ``` sed 'nd' filename ``` Think of it as "delete n". I know that doesn't give much information but it will be more relatable when you see the sed command examples for deleting lines I am going to share in this article. I'll be using this sample file called `lines.txt` in the examples. It will be easier to follow with this text content. ``` Line number 1 Line number 2 Line number 3 Line number 4 Line number 5 Line number 6 Line number 7 Line number 8 Line number 9 Line number 10 ``` 🚧 I am sharing examples of deleting lines but it only shows it on the screen, the file is not changed. If you want to modify the file, use sed -i instead of sed in the mentioned examples. But, I suggest either making backup of the file or verifying that you are deleting the intended lines. ## Delete the first line This is simple. Just use `1d` like this: ``` sed '1d' filename ``` And here's an example of the command in action: ``` abhishek@LHB:~$ sed '1d' lines.txt Line number 2 Line number 3 Line number 4 Line number 5 Line number 6 Line number 7 Line number 8 Line number 9 Line number 10 ``` ## Delete a specific line number To delete the nth line of a file, just provide the number in this manner: ``` sed 'nd' filename ``` Let's say I delete the 4th line in my example here: ``` abhishek@LHB:~$ sed '4d' lines.txt Line number 1 Line number 2 Line number 3 Line number 5 Line number 6 Line number 7 Line number 8 Line number 9 Line number 10 ``` If the number exceeds the total lines in the file, no line is deleted. ## Delete the last line In the previous examples. you specified the line number. Deleting the first line was easier as you used `1d` but you won't always know the last line number. You can get that info for sure but there is a much easier way to remove the last line with sed: ``` sed '$d' filename ``` Here, `$` represents the last line and `d` is for delete (and you know that already). ``` abhishek@LHB:~$ sed '$d' lines.txt Line number 1 Line number 2 Line number 3 Line number 4 Line number 5 Line number 6 Line number 7 Line number 8 Line number 9 ``` ## Delete range of lines If you want to delete a specific range of lines from the text file, that can be easily done with sed like this. To remove lines starting from line number x and going till line number y, use sed command like this: ``` sed 'x,yd' filename ``` In the example below, the command removes the line from 4 to 6: ``` abhishek@LHB:~$ sed '4,6d' lines.txt Line number 1 Line number 2 Line number 3 Line number 7 Line number 8 Line number 9 Line number 10 ``` Needless to say that smaller number should be used first and bigger later. ## Delete selective lines Not everything can be grouped into range. What if you want to delete a selected few lines? You can use their line numbers in this manner: ``` sed 'xd,yd,zd' filename ``` Let's say, I want to delete lines 5,7 and 9: ``` abhishek@LHB:~$ sed '5d;7d;9d' lines.txt Line number 1 Line number 2 Line number 3 Line number 4 Line number 6 Line number 8 Line number 10 ``` 💡 You can also mix range of lines and line numbers. For example to delete lines 2 to 5 and line number 7, use: sed '2,4d;7d' filename ## Delete all lines except specified lines [Sed command](https://www.gnu.org/software/sed/?ref=linuxhandbook.com) also supports negation and you can use it to remove all lines except the Nth line or the given range of lines. To delete all lines except 1st, use: ``` sed '1!d' filename ``` To delete all lines except last, use: ``` sed '$!d' filename ``` To delete all lines except 5th line, use: ``` sed '5!d' filename ``` To delete all lines except lines from 4 to 6, use: ``` sed '4,6!d' filename ``` ## Delete all empty lines To delete all blank lines, use the sed command in this manner: ``` sed '/^$/d' filename ``` Keep in mind that if a line only contains single space, it won't be deleted with the above command. ## Delete all lines starting or ending with a certain letter You can bring simple regex in the play and use it to delete lines based on pattern. For example, to delete all lines start with letter L, use: ``` sed '/^L/d' filename ``` Yes, it is case sensitive. Similarly, you can delete all lines that end with a certain character/word: ``` sed '/L$/d' filename ``` ## Delete all lines containing a word or pattern Actually, the above few examples could be grouped in this one because all of them are deleting lines that follow a pattern. ``` sed '/pattern/d' filename ``` In our example, let's delete lines containing `Line number 1`: ``` abhishek@LHB:~$ sed '/Line number 1/d' lines.txt Line number 2 Line number 3 Line number 4 Line number 5 Line number 6 Line number 7 Line number 8 Line number 9 ``` The possibilities are endless. Once you understand the pattern, it becomes easy. If you are new to SED, I recommend this guide to get started with it. [Getting Started With SED Command \[Beginner’s Guide\]Learn to use one of the most powerful commands of the Unix toolbox: sed, the stream editor with practical examples of SED commands.![](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2021/08/Linux-Handbook-New-Logo.png)Linux HandbookSylvain Leroux![](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/2020/07/sed-commands-featured-1.jpeg)](https://linuxhandbook.com/sed-command-basics/)