For removing properties and labels, see Section 3.13, “REMOVE”. Remember that you cannot delete a node without also deleting relationships that start or end on said node. Either explicitly delete the relationships, or use DETACH DELETE.

The examples start out with the following database:

Figure 3.11. Graph

To delete a node, use the DELETE clause.

Query. 

MATCH (n:Person { name: 'UNKNOWN' })
DELETE n

Try this query live.  CREATE (a:Person {name: 'Andy', age: 36}), (p:Person {name: 'Timothy', age: 25}), (t:Person {name: 'Peter', age: 34}), (z:Person {name: 'UNKNOWN'}), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(t), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(p) MATCH (n:Person {name: 'UNKNOWN'}) DELETE n

This query isn’t for deleting large amounts of data, but is useful when experimenting with small example data sets.

Query. 

MATCH (n)
DETACH DELETE n

Try this query live.  CREATE (a:Person {name: 'Andy', age: 36}), (p:Person {name: 'Timothy', age: 25}), (t:Person {name: 'Peter', age: 34}), (z:Person {name: 'UNKNOWN'}), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(t), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(p) MATCH (n) DETACH DELETE n

When you want to delete a node and any relationship going to or from it, use DETACH DELETE.

Query. 

MATCH (n { name: 'Andy' })
DETACH DELETE n

Try this query live.  CREATE (a:Person {name: 'Andy', age: 36}), (p:Person {name: 'Timothy', age: 25}), (t:Person {name: 'Peter', age: 34}), (z:Person {name: 'UNKNOWN'}), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(t), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(p) MATCH (n {name: 'Andy'}) DETACH DELETE n

It is also possible to delete relationships only, leaving the node(s) otherwise unaffected.

Query. 

MATCH (n { name: 'Andy' })-[r:KNOWS]->()
DELETE r

This deletes all outgoing KNOWS relationships from the node with the name 'Andy'.

Try this query live.  CREATE (a:Person {name: 'Andy', age: 36}), (p:Person {name: 'Timothy', age: 25}), (t:Person {name: 'Peter', age: 34}), (z:Person {name: 'UNKNOWN'}), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(t), (a)-[:KNOWS]->(p) MATCH (n {name: 'Andy'})-[r:KNOWS]->() DELETE r