diff --git a/rust/parser/pipeline.rs b/rust/parser/pipeline.rs
index 24446d3d..2f76d55d 100644
--- a/rust/parser/pipeline.rs
+++ b/rust/parser/pipeline.rs
@@ -175,8 +175,9 @@ fn visit_clause_insert(node: Node<'_>) -> Insert {
         .into_children()
         .skip_expected(Rule::INSERT)
         .map(|child| match child.as_rule() {
-            Rule::statement_thing => visit_statement_thing(child),
-            Rule::statement_assignment => Statement::Assignment(visit_statement_assignment(child)),
+            Rule::statement_thing => Pattern::Statement(visit_statement_thing(child)),
+            Rule::statement_assignment => Pattern::Statement(Statement::Assignment(visit_statement_assignment(child))),
+            Rule::pattern_try => Pattern::Optional(visit_pattern_try(child)),
             _ => unreachable!(
                 "Unrecognised statement inside insert clause: {:?}",
                 TypeQLError::IllegalGrammar { input: child.as_str().to_owned() }
@@ -203,7 +204,18 @@ fn visit_clause_update(node: Node<'_>) -> Update {
 fn visit_clause_delete(node: Node<'_>) -> Delete {
     debug_assert_eq!(node.as_rule(), Rule::clause_delete);
     let span = node.span();
-    let deletables = node.into_children().skip_expected(Rule::DELETE).map(visit_statement_deletable).collect();
+    let deletables = node
+        .into_children()
+        .skip_expected(Rule::DELETE)
+        .map(|child| match child.as_rule() {
+            Rule::statement_deletable => visit_statement_deletable(child),
+            Rule::pattern_try_deletable => visit_pattern_try_deletable(child),
+            _ => unreachable!(
+                "Unrecognised statement inside delete clause: {:?}",
+                TypeQLError::IllegalGrammar { input: child.as_str().to_owned() }
+            ),
+        })
+        .collect();
     Delete::new(span, deletables)
 }
 
@@ -235,6 +247,24 @@ fn visit_statement_deletable(node: Node<'_>) -> Deletable {
     Deletable::new(span, kind)
 }
 
+fn visit_pattern_try_deletable(node: Node<'_>) -> Deletable {
+    debug_assert_eq!(node.as_rule(), Rule::pattern_try_deletable);
+    let span = node.span();
+    let deletables = node
+        .into_children()
+        .skip_expected(Rule::TRY)
+        .map(|child| match child.as_rule() {
+            Rule::statement_deletable => visit_statement_deletable(child),
+            Rule::pattern_try_deletable => visit_pattern_try_deletable(child),
+            _ => unreachable!(
+                "Unrecognised statement inside delete clause: {:?}",
+                TypeQLError::IllegalGrammar { input: child.as_str().to_owned() }
+            ),
+        })
+        .collect();
+    Deletable::new(span, DeletableKind::Optional { deletables })
+}
+
 fn visit_clause_fetch(node: Node<'_>) -> Fetch {
     debug_assert_eq!(node.as_rule(), Rule::clause_fetch);
     let span = node.span();
diff --git a/rust/parser/typeql.pest b/rust/parser/typeql.pest
index 4bbd7c66..8ce90b37 100644
--- a/rust/parser/typeql.pest
+++ b/rust/parser/typeql.pest
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ query_stage_terminal = { clause_fetch ~ SEMICOLON }
 
 clause_match = { MATCH ~ patterns }
 
-clause_insert = { INSERT ~ ( statement_thing ~ SEMICOLON | statement_assignment ~ SEMICOLON )+ }
+clause_insert = { INSERT ~ ( ( statement_thing | statement_assignment | pattern_try ) ~ SEMICOLON )+ }
 clause_put = { PUT ~ ( statement_thing ~ SEMICOLON )+ }
 clause_update = { UPDATE ~ ( statement_thing ~ SEMICOLON )+ }
 
-clause_delete = { DELETE ~ ( statement_deletable ~ SEMICOLON )+ }
+clause_delete = { DELETE ~ ( ( statement_deletable | pattern_try_deletable ) ~ SEMICOLON )+ }
 
 // STREAM OPERATORS  ===========================================================
 
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ statement_deletable = { HAS? ~ var ~ OF ~ var
                       | var
                       }
 
+pattern_try_deletable = { TRY ~ CURLY_OPEN ~ ( statement_deletable ~ SEMICOLON )+ ~ CURLY_CLOSE }
+
 // SINGLE STATEMENTS ===========================================================
 
 statement_single = { statement_is | statement_comparison | statement_assignment | statement_in }
diff --git a/rust/query/pipeline/stage/delete.rs b/rust/query/pipeline/stage/delete.rs
index 9c064b53..6339f143 100644
--- a/rust/query/pipeline/stage/delete.rs
+++ b/rust/query/pipeline/stage/delete.rs
@@ -93,9 +93,27 @@ pub enum DeletableKind {
     Has { attribute: Variable, owner: Variable },
     Links { players: Relation, relation: Variable },
     Concept { variable: Variable },
+    Optional { deletables: Vec<Deletable> },
 }
 
-impl Pretty for DeletableKind {}
+impl Pretty for DeletableKind {
+    fn fmt(&self, indent_level: usize, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            Self::Optional { deletables } => {
+                writeln!(f, "{} {{", token::Keyword::Try)?;
+                for deletable in deletables {
+                    indent(indent_level + 1, f)?;
+                    Pretty::fmt(deletable, indent_level + 1, f)?;
+                    writeln!(f, ";")?;
+                    indent(indent_level, f)?;
+                }
+                f.write_char('}')?;
+                Ok(())
+            }
+            _ => write!(f, "{}", self),
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 impl fmt::Display for DeletableKind {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
@@ -107,6 +125,14 @@ impl fmt::Display for DeletableKind {
                 write!(f, "{} {} {} {}", token::Keyword::Links, players, token::Keyword::Of, relation)
             }
             Self::Concept { variable } => write!(f, "{}", variable),
+            Self::Optional { deletables } => {
+                write!(f, "{} {{ ", token::Keyword::Try)?;
+                for deletable in deletables {
+                    write!(f, "{}; ", deletable)?;
+                }
+                f.write_char('}')?;
+                Ok(())
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/rust/query/pipeline/stage/insert.rs b/rust/query/pipeline/stage/insert.rs
index e07f9549..a041199e 100644
--- a/rust/query/pipeline/stage/insert.rs
+++ b/rust/query/pipeline/stage/insert.rs
@@ -8,19 +8,19 @@ use std::fmt::{self, Write};
 
 use crate::{
     common::{token, Span, Spanned},
+    pattern::Pattern,
     pretty::{indent, Pretty},
-    statement::Statement,
 };
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Insert {
     pub span: Option<Span>,
-    pub statements: Vec<Statement>,
+    pub patterns: Vec<Pattern>,
 }
 
 impl Insert {
-    pub(crate) fn new(span: Option<Span>, statements: Vec<Statement>) -> Self {
-        Self { span, statements }
+    pub(crate) fn new(span: Option<Span>, patterns: Vec<Pattern>) -> Self {
+        Self { span, patterns }
     }
 }
 
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ impl Spanned for Insert {
 impl Pretty for Insert {
     fn fmt(&self, indent_level: usize, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         write!(f, "{}", token::Clause::Insert)?;
-        for statement in &self.statements {
+        for pattern in &self.patterns {
             writeln!(f)?;
             indent(indent_level, f)?;
-            Pretty::fmt(statement, indent_level, f)?;
+            Pretty::fmt(pattern, indent_level, f)?;
             f.write_char(';')?;
         }
         Ok(())
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for Insert {
             Pretty::fmt(self, 0, f)
         } else {
             write!(f, "{}", token::Clause::Insert)?;
-            for statement in &self.statements {
+            for statement in &self.patterns {
                 write!(f, " {statement};")?;
             }
             Ok(())