# expansions involving patterns var='[hello' echo "${var//[/}" red='\[\e[0;31m\]' echo "${red//\\[\\e/}" foo="${red//\\[\\e/}" # foo == [0;31m\] echo "${foo//[0;31m\\/}" echo "${var//[]/}" echo "${red//[]/}" v=hello foo='[:alpha:]' echo ${v//[[:alpha:]]/} echo ${v//[[:alpha]]/} echo ${v//[[:alpha]/}