dict.pop() vs del d[key]

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Accepted Answer

d.pop(key) removes key and returns its value. You can also pass a default: d.pop(key, None) avoids KeyError if the key is absent. del d[key] deletes the key-value pair but returns nothing, and raises KeyError if the key doesn't exist. Use pop() when you need the old value or want safe deletion; use del when you just want to remove without caring about the value.