diff --git a/airflow-core/src/airflow/cli/commands/task_command.py b/airflow-core/src/airflow/cli/commands/task_command.py
index 550f8f6451980..af1fb4f71a967 100644
--- a/airflow-core/src/airflow/cli/commands/task_command.py
+++ b/airflow-core/src/airflow/cli/commands/task_command.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import re
 import textwrap
 from contextlib import redirect_stdout
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Protocol, cast
@@ -600,9 +601,13 @@ def task_clear(args) -> None:
         dags = get_dags(args.bundle_name, args.dag_id, use_regex=args.dag_regex, from_db=True)
 
         if args.task_regex:
+            try:
+                task_pattern = re.compile(args.task_regex)
+            except re.error as e:
+                raise SystemExit(f"Invalid --task-regex {args.task_regex!r}: {e}")
             for idx, dag in enumerate(dags):
                 dags[idx] = dag.partial_subset(
-                    task_ids=args.task_regex,
+                    task_ids={task_id for task_id in dag.task_ids if task_pattern.search(task_id)},
                     include_downstream=args.downstream,
                     include_upstream=args.upstream,
                 )
diff --git a/airflow-core/tests/unit/cli/commands/test_task_command.py b/airflow-core/tests/unit/cli/commands/test_task_command.py
index a71fb78ca2f5d..3b6b7532a84ea 100644
--- a/airflow-core/tests/unit/cli/commands/test_task_command.py
+++ b/airflow-core/tests/unit/cli/commands/test_task_command.py
@@ -810,6 +810,34 @@ def test_task_states_for_dag_run(self):
             "end_date": ti_end.isoformat(),
         }
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("task_regex", "expected_task_ids"),
+        [
+            ("^runme_[02]$", {"runme_0", "runme_2"}),
+            ("unme_[02]", {"runme_0", "runme_2"}),
+            ("runme_0|also_run_this", {"runme_0", "also_run_this"}),
+        ],
+    )
+    @mock.patch("airflow.cli.commands.task_command.SerializedDAG.clear_dags", autospec=True)
+    def test_task_clear_task_regex_matches_as_regex(self, mock_clear_dags, task_regex, expected_task_ids):
+        args = self.parser.parse_args(
+            ["tasks", "clear", "example_bash_operator", "--task-regex", task_regex, "--yes"]
+        )
+        task_command.task_clear(args)
+
+        (dags,) = mock_clear_dags.call_args.args
+        assert set(dags[0].task_ids) == expected_task_ids
+
+    @mock.patch("airflow.cli.commands.task_command.SerializedDAG.clear_dags", autospec=True)
+    def test_task_clear_task_regex_invalid_pattern_exits_cleanly(self, mock_clear_dags):
+        args = self.parser.parse_args(
+            ["tasks", "clear", "example_bash_operator", "--task-regex", "runme_[", "--yes"]
+        )
+        with pytest.raises(SystemExit, match=r"Invalid --task-regex 'runme_\['"):
+            task_command.task_clear(args)
+
+        mock_clear_dags.assert_not_called()
+
     def test_task_states_for_dag_run_when_dag_run_not_exists(self):
         """
         task_states_for_dag_run should return an AirflowException when invalid dag id is passed