diff --git a/src/lang/modifyAst.ts b/src/lang/modifyAst.ts
index c9279faa4..13d4b7825 100644
--- a/src/lang/modifyAst.ts
+++ b/src/lang/modifyAst.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ import { KCL_DEFAULT_CONSTANT_PREFIXES } from '@src/lib/constants'
 import type { DefaultPlaneStr } from '@src/lib/planes'
 
 import { err, trap } from '@src/lib/trap'
-import { isOverlap, roundOff } from '@src/lib/utils'
+import { isArray, isOverlap, roundOff } from '@src/lib/utils'
 import type { ExtrudeFacePlane } from '@src/machines/modelingMachine'
 import { ARG_AT } from '@src/lang/constants'
 
@@ -949,6 +949,27 @@ export function deleteSegmentFromPipeExpression(
   return _modifiedAst
 }
 
+/**
+ * Deletes a standalone top level statement from the AST
+ * Used for removing both unassigned statements and variable declarations
+ *
+ * @param ast The AST to modify
+ * @param pathToNode The path to the node to delete
+ */
+export function deleteTopLevelStatement(
+  ast: Node<Program>,
+  pathToNode: PathToNode
+): Error | void {
+  const pathStep = pathToNode[1]
+  if (!isArray(pathStep) || typeof pathStep[0] !== 'number') {
+    return new Error(
+      'Invalid pathToNode structure: expected a number at path[1][0]'
+    )
+  }
+  const statementIndex: number = pathStep[0]
+  ast.body.splice(statementIndex, 1)
+}
+
 export function removeSingleConstraintInfo(
   pathToCallExp: PathToNode,
   argDetails: SimplifiedArgDetails,