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string erase in C++ - GeeksforGeeks

Last Updated : 19 May, 2025

The string erase() function is a built-in function of the string class that is used to erase the whole or part of the string, shortening its length. The function provides different ways to delete a portion of a string based on either an index position or a range of characters or delete the whole string.

Example :

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    string str = "Hello, World!";

    // Erase a single character sterting
    // from index 5
    str.erase(5, 1);
    
    cout << str;
    return 0;
}

The string erase() function provides 5 different overloads for different purposes:

s.erase()                   // Erases whole string
s.erase(idx)             // Erases all characters after idx
s.erase(idx, k)        // Erases k characters after idx
s.erase(itr)             // Erases character at itr
s.erase(first, last) // Erases character in range [first, last)

Let's look at how to use each overload one by one.

string erase() function can be used for erasing a single character from the specific position in the string.

Parameters

• itr: Iterator to the character you want to erase (note that it is an iterator, not index)

Return Value

• Returns the character now at the position of the removed character.
• If no such character is remaining, returns iterator to the string::end()

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    string s("Hello World!");

    // Deletes character at position 4
    s.erase(s.begin() + 4);

    cout << s;
    return 0;
}

We can also erase a range of characters from the string using string erase() function.

Parameters

• first: Iterator to the first element in the range.
• last: Iterator to one element after the last element in the range.

Return Value

• Returns the character now at the position of the first removed character.
• If no such character is remaining, returns iterator to the string::end()

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    string s("Hello World!");

    // Define the range as the word "Hello "
  	auto first = s.begin();
  	auto last = s.begin() + 6;
  	
  	// Remove the range [first, last)
    s.erase(first, last);
  
    cout << s;
    return 0;
}

The below version erases all the characters after the given index, but we can also limit the number of characters to be deleted using string::erase.

Parameters

• idx: The position (index) at which character deletion begins.
• k: Number of characters to be erased (including character at idx).

Return Value

• This version returns the current string.

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    string s("Hello World!");

    // Deletes 5 characters starting from index number 0
    s.erase(0, 5);

    cout << s;
    return 0;
}

string erase() function can also be instructed to erase the characters after some given position.

Parameters

• idx: The position (index) at which character deletion begins.

Return Value

• This version returns the current string.

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    string s("Hello World!");
  
	// Deletes the word " World!"
    s.erase(5);
  
    cout << s;
    return 0;
}

The string erase() function is able to delete all the characters of the string effectively clearing it. The length of the string will be reduced to 0.

Parameter

• This version takes no parameters.

Return Value

• This version returns the current string.

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    string s("Hello World!");

    // Erasing string using string::erase()
    s.erase();

    cout << s;
    return 0;
}

Output

(no output)

The string clear() is a function used to erase the contents of the string, but it is a lot different from string erase(). Below is the table that lists the major differences between string erase() and string clear().

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