*= Multiplication assignment
Last updated: 2026-09-22
*= Multiplication assignment
*= multiplies the left variable by the right value, equivalent to x = x * y; for str/list it repeats.
| Category | Operators |
|---|---|
| Kind | Operator |
📝 Syntax
x *= y▶ Example
Edit the code, press Run, and see the result in the output panel:
Output：
6💡 Related Cases
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❓ FAQ
QWhat do s *= 3 do to strings and lists?
ARepetition: for a string, `s = 'ab'; s *= 2` gives `'abab'` (a new string); for a list, it calls `__imul__` to repeat the elements in place.
QWhat trap does list *= have?
A`l = [[]]; l *= 3` gives three references to the same inner list — modifying one changes all of them. For independent sublists, use a list comprehension: `[[] for _ in range(3)]`.
QWhat happens with s *= 0?
AThe sequence becomes empty: `'ab' *= 0` gives `''`, and `[1, 2] *= 0` gives `[]`. Multiplying by a negative number also yields an empty sequence.
