You seem to be asking for an alternative data structure. Linked lists are good at insertion and deletion from an arbitrary position, but you need to have a reference to the location where you want to insert or delete; otherwise, you'll be spending O(n) scanning to the location that you want to insert or delete from.
As far as I know, there is no linked list in Python's standard library, but you could implement your own.
At the end of the day, you can't do "the exact same thing" in less time; something has to give. You need to relax one of your requirements (e.g. that the list type be used).
An alternative requirement you might be able to relax is "the existing elements need to remain in the same order". If you don't mind a little re-ordering, you can swap lst[i] with lst[-1]. Then, pop from the end (which is efficient for lists). This can be done pretty easily using Python's tuple assignment. Like so:
lst[i], lst[-1] = lst[-1], lst[i] # swap
lst.pop() # Now, the item that you wanted removed is gone,
# but the remaining elements are not
# all in the same order as before,
# but they mostly are.
This is often a viable alternative, because you don't always care about the order of a list.
Answer from allyourcode on Stack OverflowfreeCodeCamp
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Python .pop() – How to Pop from a List or an Array in Python
March 1, 2022 - This means that when the pop() method doesn't have any arguments, it will remove the last list item. So, the syntax for that would look something like this: ... #list of programming languages programming_languages = ["Python", "Java", "JavaScript"] #print initial list print(programming_languages) #remove last item, which is "JavaScript" programming_languages.pop() #print list again print(programming_languages) #output #['Python', 'Java', 'JavaScript'] #['Python', 'Java']
Educative
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What is the array pop() method in Python?
An array stores multiple values, items, and elements of the same data type in a single variable. The pop method removes an item from an array using the index value or the position of the item in the given array.
python - Popping elements from array efficiently - Stack Overflow
Consider an array which we know will have integers from 0 to n in sequence, starting at 0. For example: ... Now, we pop the element at position 1. More on stackoverflow.com
python - numpy-equivalent of list.pop? - Stack Overflow
The first returns the row indexes of the matching elements and the second the column indexes. This is useful when searching for elements in a 2d array. In our case, the first element of the first returned list is interesting. ... unutbu had a simple answer for this, but pop() can also take ... More on stackoverflow.com
python - How can I pop elements in a list from a given array of indexes? - Stack Overflow
Communities for your favorite technologies. Explore all Collectives · Stack Overflow for Teams is now called Stack Internal. Bring the best of human thought and AI automation together at your work More on stackoverflow.com
Why pop method removes two list at once?
Pop modifies the list. Here you remove an item from the list, and throw it away: guest.pop() Then you remove another item, and print it: print(f"{guest.pop()}") In your second example, you only call pop once, hence why only one item is removed. More on reddit.com
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December 17, 202300:59
Python short video | remove elements from array in python | pop() ...
Python list pop - YouTube
01:37
#67 Pop Method in Python – Remove List Items by Index with Ease!
12:31
Python Quick Code: Pop from Lists - YouTube
Python Arrays Remove, Pop, Del - YouTube
Programiz
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Python List pop()
The list pop() method removes the item at the specified index. The method also returns the removed item. prime_numbers = [2, 3, 5, 7] # remove the element at index 2 removed_element = prime_numbers.pop(2) print('Removed Element:', removed_element) print('Updated List:', prime_numbers) # Output: ...
W3Schools
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Python List pop() Method
Python Examples Python Compiler ... Interview Q&A Python Bootcamp Python Training ... The pop() method removes the element at the specified position....
freeCodeCamp
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Python list.pop() – How to Pop an Element from a Array
February 9, 2023 - In this article, you'll learn how to remove elements in a Python list using: The pop() method.
DataCamp
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How to Use the Python pop() Method | DataCamp
July 31, 2024 - The Python Cheat Sheet for Beginners will also help you reference and understand Python's syntax and different functions. The pop() method is used in lists and dictionaries to remove specific items and return the value. I will show a quick example for both. The first example shows how to remove ...
GeeksforGeeks
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Python List pop() Method - GeeksforGeeks
1 week ago - Explanation: a.pop() removes and returns the last element of the list and removed value is stored in val.
Mimo
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Python Pop Method: Essential Data Manipulation techniques
In Python, pop() is a list method that removes and returns an element of a list. With an argument, pop() removes and returns the item at the specified index (starting from 0).
Tutorialspoint
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Python Array pop() Method
The Python array pop() method is used to remove an item at the specified index value from an array. In this method, If we will not provide a index value it will remove the last element by default .
W3Schools
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Python Remove Array Item
Python Examples Python Compiler ... Python Interview Q&A Python Bootcamp Python Training ... You can use the pop() method to remove an element from the array....
Bomberbot
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Python .pop() – How to Pop from a List or an Array in Python - Bomberbot
For removing items at a specific index, pop(index) is generally faster than del for small lists, but del becomes faster as the list size grows due to the cost of shifting elements. We‘ve covered a lot of ground in this comprehensive guide to Python‘s pop() method. From the basics of its syntax and behavior to advanced usage patterns, performance considerations, best practices, and even some surprising statistics. As you‘ve seen, pop() is a versatile and essential tool for working with lists and arrays in Python.
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Understanding Python pop() Method
October 12, 2024 - It removes an element from a list based on its index and, most importantly, returns the removed element, giving you control over your data structures. Whether you’re managing dynamic lists, handling user input, or manipulating arrays...
DigitalOcean
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How to Use `.pop()` in Python Lists and Dictionaries | DigitalOcean
July 24, 2025 - Python lists are implemented as dynamic arrays. When you call list.pop(), Python removes and returns the item at the specified index (defaulting to the last item). Here’s what happens under the hood: pop() without index: Removes the last element.
Career Karma
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Python Pop: A Step-By-Step Guide | Career Karma
December 1, 2023 - The Python pop() method allows you to remove an element from a specified position in a list. This method is useful if you have an existing array that contains a value you want to remove.
Stack Abuse
stackabuse.com › remove-element-from-an-array-in-python
How to Remove Elements from an Array/List in Python
September 15, 2023 - Another way we can remove elements from list/array in Python is by using the pop() method. It accepts the index of the element we want to remove.
Codecademy
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Python | Lists | .pop() | Codecademy
May 26, 2025 - The .pop() method in Python removes an element from a list at a specified index and returns that element. The .pop() method directly modifies the original list by removing the element at the given position.
Top answer 1 of 11
39
There is no pop method for NumPy arrays, but you could just use basic slicing (which would be efficient since it returns a view, not a copy):
In [104]: y = np.arange(5); y
Out[105]: array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4])
In [106]: last, y = y[-1], y[:-1]
In [107]: last, y
Out[107]: (4, array([0, 1, 2, 3]))
If there were a pop method it would return the last value in y and modify y.
Above,
last, y = y[-1], y[:-1]
assigns the last value to the variable last and modifies y.
2 of 11
24
Here is one example using numpy.delete():
import numpy as np
arr = np.array([[1,2,3,4], [5,6,7,8], [9,10,11,12]])
print(arr)
# array([[ 1, 2, 3, 4],
# [ 5, 6, 7, 8],
# [ 9, 10, 11, 12]])
arr = np.delete(arr, 1, 0)
print(arr)
# array([[ 1, 2, 3, 4],
# [ 9, 10, 11, 12]])
Top answer 1 of 5
3
I'd create a new list that doesn't include these indexes. Using a list comprehension over the enumerate of the original list (so you can get the list and the index easily) can even make this a one liner:
result = [e[1] for e in enumerate(lst) if e[0] not in indexes]
2 of 5
2
Assuming the problem is caused by the mutation of the list during items popping:
for i in sorted(indexes, reverse=True):
list.pop(i)
The change in the code pops the items from the end first, so the indices of the other items is not affected.
Finxter
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Python List pop() – Be on the Right Side of Change
June 19, 2021 - This tutorial shows you everything ... in the Python programming language. ... The list.pop() method removes and returns the last element from an existing list....