# DELETE As the name suggests, the `DELETE` statement would remove data from your database. The syntax is as follows: ```sql DELETE FROM users WHERE id=5; ``` The output should indicate that 1 row was affected: ``` Query OK, 1 row affected (0.01 sec) ``` > Important: Just like the `UPDATE` statement, if you don't specify a `WHERE` clause, all of the entries from the table will be affected, meaning that all of your users will be deleted. So, it is critical to always add a `WHERE` clause when executing a `DELETE` statement. ```sql DELETE FROM users; ``` The output should indicate (where x is the number of tuples in the table): ``` Query OK, x row(s) affected (0.047 sec) ``` Similar to the Linux `rm` command, when you use the `DELETE` statement, the data would be gone permanently, and the only way to recover your data would be by restoring a backup.