diff --git a/commands_test.go b/commands_test.go
index bacc4960..9a514d66 100644
--- a/commands_test.go
+++ b/commands_test.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func TestReadWithAdvancedFilterCmd(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestReadWithAdvancedFilterMapCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := getRootCommand()
-	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read -v examples/sample.yaml b.e[name==fred]")
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read -v examples/sample.yaml b.e[name==fr*]")
 	if result.Error != nil {
 		t.Error(result.Error)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
index ad4ede0c..ac49e1c4 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func FilterMatchingNodesNavigationStrategy(value string) NavigationStrategy {
 		},
 		shouldVisitExtraFn: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
 			log.Debug("does %v match %v ? %v", nodeContext.Node.Value, value, nodeContext.Node.Value == value)
-			return nodeContext.Node.Value == value
+			return matchesString(value, nodeContext.Node.Value)
 		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go b/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go
index 38464522..a06ff048 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ func NewPathParser() PathParser {
 	return &pathParser{}
 }
 
+func matchesString(expression string, value string) bool {
+	var prefixMatch = strings.TrimSuffix(expression, "*")
+	if prefixMatch != expression {
+		log.Debug("prefix match, %v", strings.HasPrefix(value, prefixMatch))
+		return strings.HasPrefix(value, prefixMatch)
+	}
+	return value == expression
+}
+
 func (p *pathParser) IsPathExpression(pathElement string) bool {
 	return pathElement == "*" || pathElement == "**" || strings.Contains(pathElement, "==")
 }
@@ -60,12 +69,8 @@ func (p *pathParser) MatchesNextPathElement(nodeContext NodeContext, nodeKey str
 			return true
 		}
 	}
-	var prefixMatch = strings.TrimSuffix(head, "*")
-	if prefixMatch != head {
-		log.Debug("prefix match, %v", strings.HasPrefix(nodeKey, prefixMatch))
-		return strings.HasPrefix(nodeKey, prefixMatch)
-	}
-	return nodeKey == head
+
+	return matchesString(head, nodeKey)
 }
 
 func (p *pathParser) ParsePath(path string) []string {
diff --git a/yq.go b/yq.go
index 2a821756..fc160538 100644
--- a/yq.go
+++ b/yq.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ yq read things.yaml a.b.c
 yq r - a.b.c (reads from stdin)
 yq r things.yaml a.*.c
 yq r things.yaml a.**.c
-yq r things.yaml a.(child.subchild==cool).c
+yq r things.yaml a.(child.subchild==co*).c
 yq r -d1 things.yaml 'a.array[0].blah'
 yq r things.yaml 'a.array[*].blah'
 yq r -- things.yaml --key-starting-with-dashes.blah
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func createWriteCmd() *cobra.Command {
 yq write things.yaml a.b.c true
 yq write things.yaml 'a.*.c' true
 yq write things.yaml 'a.**' true
-yq write things.yaml a.(child.subchild==cool).c true
+yq write things.yaml a.(child.subchild==co*).c true
 yq write things.yaml a.b.c --tag '!!str' true
 yq write things.yaml a.b.c --tag '!!float' 3
 yq write --inplace -- things.yaml a.b.c --cat
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func createDeleteCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Example: `
 yq delete things.yaml a.b.c
 yq delete things.yaml a.*.c
-yq delete things.yaml a.(child.subchild==cool).c
+yq delete things.yaml a.(child.subchild==co*).c
 yq delete things.yaml a.**
 yq delete --inplace things.yaml a.b.c
 yq delete --inplace -- things.yaml --key-starting-with-dash