diff --git a/src/actions/commands/actions.ts b/src/actions/commands/actions.ts
index 114ee63f38a..9b3a43164f2 100644
--- a/src/actions/commands/actions.ts
+++ b/src/actions/commands/actions.ts
@@ -1058,6 +1058,30 @@ class CommandEscInSearchMode extends BaseCommand {
   }
 }
 
+@RegisterAction
+class CommandRemoveWordInSearchMode extends BaseCommand {
+  modes = [ModeName.SearchInProgressMode];
+  keys = ['<C-w>'];
+  runsOnceForEveryCursor() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  public async exec(position: Position, vimState: VimState): Promise<VimState> {
+    const searchState = globalState.searchState!;
+    const pos = vimState.statusBarCursorCharacterPos;
+    const searchString = searchState.searchString;
+    const characterAt = Position.getWordLeft(searchString, pos);
+    // Needs explicit check undefined because zero is falsy and zero is a valid character pos.
+    if (characterAt !== undefined) {
+      searchState.searchString = searchString
+        .substring(0, characterAt)
+        .concat(searchString.slice(pos));
+      vimState.statusBarCursorCharacterPos = pos - (pos - characterAt);
+    }
+
+    return vimState;
+  }
+}
 @RegisterAction
 class CommandPasteInSearchMode extends BaseCommand {
   modes = [ModeName.SearchInProgressMode];
@@ -2185,6 +2209,32 @@ class CommandEscInCommandline extends BaseCommand {
   }
 }
 
+@RegisterAction
+class CommandRemoveWordCommandline extends BaseCommand {
+  modes = [ModeName.CommandlineInProgress];
+  keys = ['<C-w>'];
+  runsOnceForEveryCursor() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  public async exec(position: Position, vimState: VimState): Promise<VimState> {
+    const key = this.keysPressed[0];
+    const pos = vimState.statusBarCursorCharacterPos;
+    const cmdText = vimState.currentCommandlineText;
+    const characterAt = Position.getWordLeft(cmdText, pos);
+    // Needs explicit check undefined because zero is falsy and zero is a valid character pos.
+    if (characterAt !== undefined) {
+      vimState.currentCommandlineText = cmdText
+        .substring(0, characterAt)
+        .concat(cmdText.slice(pos));
+      vimState.statusBarCursorCharacterPos = pos - (pos - characterAt);
+    }
+
+    commandLine.lastKeyPressed = key;
+    return vimState;
+  }
+}
+
 @RegisterAction
 class CommandPasteInCommandline extends BaseCommand {
   modes = [ModeName.CommandlineInProgress];
diff --git a/src/common/motion/position.ts b/src/common/motion/position.ts
index 245d2079e09..967d0fedd79 100644
--- a/src/common/motion/position.ts
+++ b/src/common/motion/position.ts
@@ -523,6 +523,22 @@ export class Position extends vscode.Position {
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Get the position of the word counting from the position specified.
+   * @param text The string to search from.
+   * @param pos The position of text to search from.
+   * @param inclusive true if we consider the pos a valid result, false otherwise.
+   * @returns The character position of the word to the left relative to the text and the pos.
+   *          undefined if there is no word to the left of the postion.
+   */
+  public static getWordLeft(
+    text: string,
+    pos: number,
+    inclusive: boolean = false
+  ): number | undefined {
+    return Position.getWordLeftWithRegex(text, pos, Position._nonWordCharRegex, inclusive);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Inclusive is true if we consider the current position a valid result, false otherwise.
    */
@@ -1030,7 +1046,7 @@ export class Position extends vscode.Position {
     return regexp;
   }
 
-  private getAllPositions(line: string, regex: RegExp): number[] {
+  private static getAllPositions(line: string, regex: RegExp): number[] {
     let positions: number[] = [];
     let result = regex.exec(line);
 
@@ -1068,23 +1084,31 @@ export class Position extends vscode.Position {
     return positions;
   }
 
+  private static getWordLeftWithRegex(
+    text: string,
+    pos: number,
+    regex: RegExp,
+    forceFirst: boolean = false,
+    inclusive: boolean = false
+  ): number | undefined {
+    const positions = Position.getAllPositions(text, regex);
+    return positions
+      .reverse()
+      .find(index => (index < pos && !inclusive) || (index <= pos && inclusive) || forceFirst);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Inclusive is true if we consider the current position a valid result, false otherwise.
    */
   private getWordLeftWithRegex(regex: RegExp, inclusive: boolean = false): Position {
     for (let currentLine = this.line; currentLine >= 0; currentLine--) {
-      let positions = this.getAllPositions(
+      const newCharacter = Position.getWordLeftWithRegex(
         TextEditor.getLineAt(new vscode.Position(currentLine, 0)).text,
-        regex
+        this.character,
+        regex,
+        currentLine !== this.line,
+        inclusive
       );
-      let newCharacter = positions
-        .reverse()
-        .find(
-          index =>
-            (index < this.character && !inclusive) ||
-            (index <= this.character && inclusive) ||
-            currentLine !== this.line
-        );
 
       if (newCharacter !== undefined) {
         return new Position(currentLine, newCharacter);
@@ -1099,7 +1123,7 @@ export class Position extends vscode.Position {
    */
   private getWordRightWithRegex(regex: RegExp, inclusive: boolean = false): Position {
     for (let currentLine = this.line; currentLine < TextEditor.getLineCount(); currentLine++) {
-      let positions = this.getAllPositions(
+      let positions = Position.getAllPositions(
         TextEditor.getLineAt(new vscode.Position(currentLine, 0)).text,
         regex
       );
@@ -1226,7 +1250,7 @@ export class Position extends vscode.Position {
   private getCurrentSentenceEndWithRegex(regex: RegExp, inclusive: boolean): Position {
     let paragraphEnd = this.getCurrentParagraphEnd();
     for (let currentLine = this.line; currentLine <= paragraphEnd.line; currentLine++) {
-      let allPositions = this.getAllPositions(
+      let allPositions = Position.getAllPositions(
         TextEditor.getLineAt(new vscode.Position(currentLine, 0)).text,
         regex
       );
@@ -1252,7 +1276,7 @@ export class Position extends vscode.Position {
       return paragraphEnd;
     } else {
       for (let currentLine = this.line; currentLine <= paragraphEnd.line; currentLine++) {
-        const nonWhitePositions = this.getAllPositions(
+        const nonWhitePositions = Position.getAllPositions(
           TextEditor.getLineAt(new vscode.Position(currentLine, 0)).text,
           /\S/g
         );
diff --git a/test/cmd_line/command.test.ts b/test/cmd_line/command.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a3e3a202dac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cmd_line/command.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+import { getAndUpdateModeHandler } from '../../extension';
+import { ModeHandler } from '../../src/mode/modeHandler';
+import { StatusBar } from '../../src/statusBar';
+import { cleanUpWorkspace, setupWorkspace } from '../testUtils';
+
+suite('cmd_line/search command', () => {
+  let modeHandler: ModeHandler;
+
+  suiteSetup(async () => {
+    await setupWorkspace();
+    modeHandler = await getAndUpdateModeHandler();
+  });
+
+  suiteTeardown(cleanUpWorkspace);
+
+  test('command <C-w> can remove word in cmd line', async () => {
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents([':', 'a', 'b', 'c', '-', '1', '2', '3', '<C-w>']);
+    let statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, ':abc-|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<C-w>');
+    statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, ':abc|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<C-w>');
+    statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, ':|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<C-w>');
+    statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, ':|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<Esc>');
+  });
+
+  test('command <C-w> can remove word in search mode', async () => {
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents(['/', 'a', 'b', 'c', '-', '1', '2', '3', '<C-w>']);
+    let statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, '/abc-|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<C-w>');
+    statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, '/abc|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<C-w>');
+    statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, '/|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<C-w>');
+    statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, '/|', 'Failed to remove word');
+
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<Esc>');
+  });
+
+  test('command <C-w> can remove word in cmd line while retrain cmd on the right of the cursor', async () => {
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents([
+      ':',
+      'a',
+      'b',
+      'c',
+      ' ',
+      '1',
+      '2',
+      '3',
+      '<left>',
+      '<left>',
+      '<left>',
+      '<C-w>',
+    ]);
+    const statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, ':|123', 'Failed to retain the text on the right of the cursor');
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<Esc>');
+  });
+
+  test('command <C-w> can remove word in search mode while retrain cmd on the right of the cursor', async () => {
+    await modeHandler.handleMultipleKeyEvents([
+      '/',
+      'a',
+      'b',
+      'c',
+      ' ',
+      '1',
+      '2',
+      '3',
+      '<left>',
+      '<left>',
+      '<left>',
+      '<C-w>',
+    ]);
+    const statusBar = StatusBar.Get().trim();
+    assert.equal(statusBar, '/|123', 'Failed to retain the text on the right of the cursor');
+    await modeHandler.handleKeyEvent('<Esc>');
+  });
+});