diff --git a/packages/cli/src/config/keyBindings.ts b/packages/cli/src/config/keyBindings.ts
index ed1301ea07..4b139d1a30 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/config/keyBindings.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/config/keyBindings.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export enum Command {
   KILL_LINE_RIGHT = 'killLineRight',
   KILL_LINE_LEFT = 'killLineLeft',
   CLEAR_INPUT = 'clearInput',
+  DELETE_WORD_BACKWARD = 'deleteWordBackward',
 
   // Screen control
   CLEAR_SCREEN = 'clearScreen',
@@ -89,46 +90,38 @@ export type KeyBindingConfig = {
 export const defaultKeyBindings: KeyBindingConfig = {
   // Basic bindings
   [Command.RETURN]: [{ key: 'return' }],
-  // Original: key.name === 'escape'
   [Command.ESCAPE]: [{ key: 'escape' }],
 
   // Cursor movement
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'a'
   [Command.HOME]: [{ key: 'a', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'e'
   [Command.END]: [{ key: 'e', ctrl: true }],
 
   // Text deletion
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'k'
   [Command.KILL_LINE_RIGHT]: [{ key: 'k', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'u'
   [Command.KILL_LINE_LEFT]: [{ key: 'u', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'c'
   [Command.CLEAR_INPUT]: [{ key: 'c', ctrl: true }],
+  // Added command (meta/alt/option) for mac compatibility
+  [Command.DELETE_WORD_BACKWARD]: [
+    { key: 'backspace', ctrl: true },
+    { key: 'backspace', command: true },
+  ],
 
   // Screen control
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'l'
   [Command.CLEAR_SCREEN]: [{ key: 'l', ctrl: true }],
 
   // History navigation
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'p'
   [Command.HISTORY_UP]: [{ key: 'p', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'n'
   [Command.HISTORY_DOWN]: [{ key: 'n', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.name === 'up'
   [Command.NAVIGATION_UP]: [{ key: 'up' }],
-  // Original: key.name === 'down'
   [Command.NAVIGATION_DOWN]: [{ key: 'down' }],
 
   // Auto-completion
-  // Original: key.name === 'tab' || (key.name === 'return' && !key.ctrl)
   [Command.ACCEPT_SUGGESTION]: [{ key: 'tab' }, { key: 'return', ctrl: false }],
   // Completion navigation (arrow or Ctrl+P/N)
   [Command.COMPLETION_UP]: [{ key: 'up' }, { key: 'p', ctrl: true }],
   [Command.COMPLETION_DOWN]: [{ key: 'down' }, { key: 'n', ctrl: true }],
 
   // Text input
-  // Original: key.name === 'return' && !key.ctrl && !key.meta && !key.paste
   // Must also exclude shift to allow shift+enter for newline
   [Command.SUBMIT]: [
     {
@@ -139,7 +132,6 @@ export const defaultKeyBindings: KeyBindingConfig = {
       shift: false,
     },
   ],
-  // Original: key.name === 'return' && (key.ctrl || key.meta || key.paste)
   // Split into multiple data-driven bindings
   // Now also includes shift+enter for multi-line input
   [Command.NEWLINE]: [
@@ -151,34 +143,23 @@ export const defaultKeyBindings: KeyBindingConfig = {
   ],
 
   // External tools
-  // Original: key.ctrl && (key.name === 'x' || key.sequence === '\x18')
   [Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR]: [
     { key: 'x', ctrl: true },
     { sequence: '\x18', ctrl: true },
   ],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'v'
   [Command.PASTE_CLIPBOARD_IMAGE]: [{ key: 'v', ctrl: true }],
 
   // App level bindings
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'o'
   [Command.SHOW_ERROR_DETAILS]: [{ key: 'o', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 't'
   [Command.TOGGLE_TOOL_DESCRIPTIONS]: [{ key: 't', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'g'
   [Command.TOGGLE_IDE_CONTEXT_DETAIL]: [{ key: 'g', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && (key.name === 'c' || key.name === 'C')
   [Command.QUIT]: [{ key: 'c', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && (key.name === 'd' || key.name === 'D')
   [Command.EXIT]: [{ key: 'd', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 's'
   [Command.SHOW_MORE_LINES]: [{ key: 's', ctrl: true }],
 
   // Shell commands
-  // Original: key.ctrl && key.name === 'r'
   [Command.REVERSE_SEARCH]: [{ key: 'r', ctrl: true }],
-  // Original: key.name === 'return' && !key.ctrl
   // Note: original logic ONLY checked ctrl=false, ignored meta/shift/paste
   [Command.SUBMIT_REVERSE_SEARCH]: [{ key: 'return', ctrl: false }],
-  // Original: key.name === 'tab'
   [Command.ACCEPT_SUGGESTION_REVERSE_SEARCH]: [{ key: 'tab' }],
 };
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
index f348346e11..ca1f9f5498 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
@@ -507,6 +507,11 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
         return;
       }
 
+      if (keyMatchers[Command.DELETE_WORD_BACKWARD](key)) {
+        buffer.deleteWordLeft();
+        return;
+      }
+
       // External editor
       if (keyMatchers[Command.OPEN_EXTERNAL_EDITOR](key)) {
         buffer.openInExternalEditor();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.test.ts
index 9caf269aac..94d4ffb55b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.test.ts
@@ -172,6 +172,117 @@ describe('textBufferReducer', () => {
       expect(state.undoStack[0].cursorCol).toBe(5);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('delete_word_left action', () => {
+    it('should delete a simple word', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['hello world'],
+        cursorRow: 0,
+        cursorCol: 11,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_left' };
+      const state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['hello ']);
+      expect(state.cursorCol).toBe(6);
+    });
+
+    it('should delete a path segment', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['path/to/file'],
+        cursorRow: 0,
+        cursorCol: 12,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_left' };
+      const state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['path/to/']);
+      expect(state.cursorCol).toBe(8);
+    });
+
+    it('should delete variable_name parts', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['variable_name'],
+        cursorRow: 0,
+        cursorCol: 13,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_left' };
+      const state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['variable_']);
+      expect(state.cursorCol).toBe(9);
+    });
+
+    it('should act like backspace at the beginning of a line', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['hello', 'world'],
+        cursorRow: 1,
+        cursorCol: 0,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_left' };
+      const state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['helloworld']);
+      expect(state.cursorRow).toBe(0);
+      expect(state.cursorCol).toBe(5);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('delete_word_right action', () => {
+    it('should delete a simple word', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['hello world'],
+        cursorRow: 0,
+        cursorCol: 0,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_right' };
+      const state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['world']);
+      expect(state.cursorCol).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    it('should delete a path segment', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['path/to/file'],
+        cursorRow: 0,
+        cursorCol: 0,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_right' };
+      let state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['/to/file']);
+      state = textBufferReducer(state, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['to/file']);
+    });
+
+    it('should delete variable_name parts', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['variable_name'],
+        cursorRow: 0,
+        cursorCol: 0,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_right' };
+      const state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['_name']);
+      expect(state.cursorCol).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    it('should act like delete at the end of a line', () => {
+      const stateWithText: TextBufferState = {
+        ...initialState,
+        lines: ['hello', 'world'],
+        cursorRow: 0,
+        cursorCol: 5,
+      };
+      const action: TextBufferAction = { type: 'delete_word_right' };
+      const state = textBufferReducer(stateWithText, action);
+      expect(state.lines).toEqual(['helloworld']);
+      expect(state.cursorRow).toBe(0);
+      expect(state.cursorCol).toBe(5);
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 // Helper to get the state from the hook
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.ts
index 0fef248a05..bee0a2424d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/shared/text-buffer.ts
@@ -1229,47 +1229,38 @@ export function textBufferReducer(
     case 'delete_word_left': {
       const { cursorRow, cursorCol } = state;
       if (cursorCol === 0 && cursorRow === 0) return state;
-      if (cursorCol === 0) {
+
+      const nextState = pushUndoLocal(state);
+      const newLines = [...nextState.lines];
+      let newCursorRow = cursorRow;
+      let newCursorCol = cursorCol;
+
+      if (newCursorCol > 0) {
+        const lineContent = currentLine(newCursorRow);
+        const prevWordStart = findPrevWordStartInLine(
+          lineContent,
+          newCursorCol,
+        );
+        const start = prevWordStart === null ? 0 : prevWordStart;
+        newLines[newCursorRow] =
+          cpSlice(lineContent, 0, start) + cpSlice(lineContent, newCursorCol);
+        newCursorCol = start;
+      } else {
         // Act as a backspace
-        const nextState = pushUndoLocal(state);
         const prevLineContent = currentLine(cursorRow - 1);
         const currentLineContentVal = currentLine(cursorRow);
         const newCol = cpLen(prevLineContent);
-        const newLines = [...nextState.lines];
         newLines[cursorRow - 1] = prevLineContent + currentLineContentVal;
         newLines.splice(cursorRow, 1);
-        return {
-          ...nextState,
-          lines: newLines,
-          cursorRow: cursorRow - 1,
-          cursorCol: newCol,
-          preferredCol: null,
-        };
+        newCursorRow--;
+        newCursorCol = newCol;
       }
-      const nextState = pushUndoLocal(state);
-      const lineContent = currentLine(cursorRow);
-      const arr = toCodePoints(lineContent);
-      let start = cursorCol;
-      let onlySpaces = true;
-      for (let i = 0; i < start; i++) {
-        if (isWordChar(arr[i])) {
-          onlySpaces = false;
-          break;
-        }
-      }
-      if (onlySpaces && start > 0) {
-        start--;
-      } else {
-        while (start > 0 && !isWordChar(arr[start - 1])) start--;
-        while (start > 0 && isWordChar(arr[start - 1])) start--;
-      }
-      const newLines = [...nextState.lines];
-      newLines[cursorRow] =
-        cpSlice(lineContent, 0, start) + cpSlice(lineContent, cursorCol);
+
       return {
         ...nextState,
         lines: newLines,
-        cursorCol: start,
+        cursorRow: newCursorRow,
+        cursorCol: newCursorCol,
         preferredCol: null,
       };
     }
@@ -1277,26 +1268,32 @@ export function textBufferReducer(
     case 'delete_word_right': {
       const { cursorRow, cursorCol, lines } = state;
       const lineContent = currentLine(cursorRow);
-      const arr = toCodePoints(lineContent);
-      if (cursorCol >= arr.length && cursorRow === lines.length - 1)
+      const lineLen = cpLen(lineContent);
+
+      if (cursorCol >= lineLen && cursorRow === lines.length - 1) {
         return state;
-      if (cursorCol >= arr.length) {
-        // Act as a delete
-        const nextState = pushUndoLocal(state);
+      }
+
+      const nextState = pushUndoLocal(state);
+      const newLines = [...nextState.lines];
+
+      if (cursorCol >= lineLen) {
+        // Act as a delete, joining with the next line
         const nextLineContent = currentLine(cursorRow + 1);
-        const newLines = [...nextState.lines];
         newLines[cursorRow] = lineContent + nextLineContent;
         newLines.splice(cursorRow + 1, 1);
-        return { ...nextState, lines: newLines, preferredCol: null };
+      } else {
+        const nextWordStart = findNextWordStartInLine(lineContent, cursorCol);
+        const end = nextWordStart === null ? lineLen : nextWordStart;
+        newLines[cursorRow] =
+          cpSlice(lineContent, 0, cursorCol) + cpSlice(lineContent, end);
       }
-      const nextState = pushUndoLocal(state);
-      let end = cursorCol;
-      while (end < arr.length && !isWordChar(arr[end])) end++;
-      while (end < arr.length && isWordChar(arr[end])) end++;
-      const newLines = [...nextState.lines];
-      newLines[cursorRow] =
-        cpSlice(lineContent, 0, cursorCol) + cpSlice(lineContent, end);
-      return { ...nextState, lines: newLines, preferredCol: null };
+
+      return {
+        ...nextState,
+        lines: newLines,
+        preferredCol: null,
+      };
     }
 
     case 'kill_line_right': {
@@ -1902,6 +1899,7 @@ export function useTextBuffer({
     moveToOffset,
     deleteWordLeft,
     deleteWordRight,
+
     killLineRight,
     killLineLeft,
     handleInput,
@@ -2011,6 +2009,7 @@ export interface TextBuffer {
    * follows the caret and the next contiguous run of word characters.
    */
   deleteWordRight: () => void;
+
   /**
    * Deletes text from the cursor to the end of the current line.
    */
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/KeypressContext.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/KeypressContext.test.tsx
index 6ae489d3d3..662a74c0fa 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/KeypressContext.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/KeypressContext.test.tsx
@@ -346,6 +346,25 @@ describe('KeypressContext - Kitty Protocol', () => {
         }),
       );
     });
+
+    it('should recognize Ctrl+Backspace in kitty protocol', async () => {
+      const keyHandler = vi.fn();
+      const { result } = renderHook(() => useKeypressContext(), { wrapper });
+      act(() => result.current.subscribe(keyHandler));
+
+      // Modifier 5 is Ctrl
+      act(() => {
+        stdin.sendKittySequence(`\x1b[127;5u`);
+      });
+
+      expect(keyHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          name: 'backspace',
+          kittyProtocol: true,
+          ctrl: true,
+        }),
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('paste mode', () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/keyMatchers.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/keyMatchers.test.ts
index 8db1a8975b..e08cc2e039 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/keyMatchers.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/keyMatchers.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ describe('keyMatchers', () => {
     [Command.KILL_LINE_RIGHT]: (key: Key) => key.ctrl && key.name === 'k',
     [Command.KILL_LINE_LEFT]: (key: Key) => key.ctrl && key.name === 'u',
     [Command.CLEAR_INPUT]: (key: Key) => key.ctrl && key.name === 'c',
+    [Command.DELETE_WORD_BACKWARD]: (key: Key) =>
+      (key.ctrl || key.meta) && key.name === 'backspace',
     [Command.CLEAR_SCREEN]: (key: Key) => key.ctrl && key.name === 'l',
     [Command.HISTORY_UP]: (key: Key) => key.ctrl && key.name === 'p',
     [Command.HISTORY_DOWN]: (key: Key) => key.ctrl && key.name === 'n',
@@ -113,6 +115,14 @@ describe('keyMatchers', () => {
       positive: [createKey('c', { ctrl: true })],
       negative: [createKey('c'), createKey('k', { ctrl: true })],
     },
+    {
+      command: Command.DELETE_WORD_BACKWARD,
+      positive: [
+        createKey('backspace', { ctrl: true }),
+        createKey('backspace', { meta: true }),
+      ],
+      negative: [createKey('backspace'), createKey('delete', { ctrl: true })],
+    },
 
     // Screen control
     {