diff --git a/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup.md b/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup.md
index 78c37bbf0..ce979e372 100644
--- a/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup.md
+++ b/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup.md
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Work with backups
 ### SEE ALSO
 * [ark](ark.md)	 - Back up and restore Kubernetes cluster resources.
 * [ark backup create](ark_backup_create.md)	 - Create a backup
-* [ark backup delete](ark_backup_delete.md)	 - Delete a backup
+* [ark backup delete](ark_backup_delete.md)	 - Delete backups
 * [ark backup describe](ark_backup_describe.md)	 - Describe backups
 * [ark backup download](ark_backup_download.md)	 - Download a backup
 * [ark backup get](ark_backup_get.md)	 - Get backups
diff --git a/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup_delete.md b/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup_delete.md
index 7866f02f3..5e24a10e1 100644
--- a/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup_delete.md
+++ b/docs/cli-reference/ark_backup_delete.md
@@ -1,21 +1,43 @@
 ## ark backup delete
 
-Delete a backup
+Delete backups
 
 ### Synopsis
 
 
-Delete a backup
+Delete backups
 
 ```
-ark backup delete NAME [flags]
+ark backup delete [NAMES] [flags]
+```
+
+### Examples
+
+```
+  # delete a backup named "backup-1"
+  ark backup delete backup-1
+
+  # delete a backup named "backup-1" without prompting for confirmation
+  ark backup delete backup-1 --confirm
+
+  # delete backups named "backup-1" and "backup-2"
+  ark backup delete backup-1 backup-2
+
+  # delete all backups triggered by schedule "schedule-1"
+  ark backup delete --selector ark-schedule=schedule-1
+ 
+  # delete all backups
+  ark backup delete --all
+  
 ```
 
 ### Options
 
 ```
-      --confirm   Confirm deletion
-  -h, --help      help for delete
+      --all                      Delete all backups
+      --confirm                  Confirm deletion
+  -h, --help                     help for delete
+  -l, --selector labelSelector   Delete all backups matching this label selector (default <none>)
 ```
 
 ### Options inherited from parent commands
diff --git a/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete.md b/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete.md
index 7016169ce..a9693d20a 100644
--- a/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete.md
+++ b/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete.md
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Delete ark resources
 
 ### SEE ALSO
 * [ark](ark.md)	 - Back up and restore Kubernetes cluster resources.
-* [ark delete backup](ark_delete_backup.md)	 - Delete a backup
+* [ark delete backup](ark_delete_backup.md)	 - Delete backups
 * [ark delete restore](ark_delete_restore.md)	 - Delete a restore
 * [ark delete schedule](ark_delete_schedule.md)	 - Delete a schedule
 
diff --git a/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete_backup.md b/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete_backup.md
index 3dceaf041..d370004b0 100644
--- a/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete_backup.md
+++ b/docs/cli-reference/ark_delete_backup.md
@@ -1,21 +1,43 @@
 ## ark delete backup
 
-Delete a backup
+Delete backups
 
 ### Synopsis
 
 
-Delete a backup
+Delete backups
 
 ```
-ark delete backup NAME [flags]
+ark delete backup [NAMES] [flags]
+```
+
+### Examples
+
+```
+  # delete a backup named "backup-1"
+  ark backup delete backup-1
+
+  # delete a backup named "backup-1" without prompting for confirmation
+  ark backup delete backup-1 --confirm
+
+  # delete backups named "backup-1" and "backup-2"
+  ark backup delete backup-1 backup-2
+
+  # delete all backups triggered by schedule "schedule-1"
+  ark backup delete --selector ark-schedule=schedule-1
+ 
+  # delete all backups
+  ark backup delete --all
+  
 ```
 
 ### Options
 
 ```
-      --confirm   Confirm deletion
-  -h, --help      help for backup
+      --all                      Delete all backups
+      --confirm                  Confirm deletion
+  -h, --help                     help for backup
+  -l, --selector labelSelector   Delete all backups matching this label selector (default <none>)
 ```
 
 ### Options inherited from parent commands
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cli/backup/delete.go b/pkg/cmd/cli/backup/delete.go
index cc9bee64c..22f71df09 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/cli/backup/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cli/backup/delete.go
@@ -18,20 +18,24 @@ package backup
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/apis/ark/v1"
-	"github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/backup"
-	clientset "github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/generated/clientset/versioned"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
+	kubeerrs "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
+
+	arkv1api "github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/apis/ark/v1"
+	"github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/backup"
 	"github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/client"
 	"github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/cmd"
+	"github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/cmd/util/flag"
+	clientset "github.com/heptio/ark/pkg/generated/clientset/versioned"
 )
 
 // NewDeleteCommand creates a new command that deletes a backup.
@@ -39,9 +43,23 @@ func NewDeleteCommand(f client.Factory, use string) *cobra.Command {
 	o := &DeleteOptions{}
 
 	c := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   fmt.Sprintf("%s NAME", use),
-		Short: "Delete a backup",
-		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		Use:   fmt.Sprintf("%s [NAMES]", use),
+		Short: "Delete backups",
+		Example: `  # delete a backup named "backup-1"
+  ark backup delete backup-1
+
+  # delete a backup named "backup-1" without prompting for confirmation
+  ark backup delete backup-1 --confirm
+
+  # delete backups named "backup-1" and "backup-2"
+  ark backup delete backup-1 backup-2
+
+  # delete all backups triggered by schedule "schedule-1"
+  ark backup delete --selector ark-schedule=schedule-1
+ 
+  # delete all backups
+  ark backup delete --all
+  `,
 		Run: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			cmd.CheckError(o.Complete(f, args))
 			cmd.CheckError(o.Validate(c, args, f))
@@ -56,23 +74,24 @@ func NewDeleteCommand(f client.Factory, use string) *cobra.Command {
 
 // DeleteOptions contains parameters for deleting a backup.
 type DeleteOptions struct {
-	Name    string
-	Confirm bool
+	Names    []string
+	All      bool
+	Selector flag.LabelSelector
+	Confirm  bool
 
 	client    clientset.Interface
 	namespace string
-	backup    *v1.Backup
 }
 
 // BindFlags binds options for this command to flags.
 func (o *DeleteOptions) BindFlags(flags *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	flags.BoolVar(&o.Confirm, "confirm", o.Confirm, "Confirm deletion")
+	flags.BoolVar(&o.All, "all", o.All, "Delete all backups")
+	flags.VarP(&o.Selector, "selector", "l", "Delete all backups matching this label selector")
 }
 
 // Complete fills out the remainder of the parameters based on user input.
 func (o *DeleteOptions) Complete(f client.Factory, args []string) error {
-	o.Name = args[0]
-
 	o.namespace = f.Namespace()
 
 	client, err := f.Client()
@@ -81,11 +100,7 @@ func (o *DeleteOptions) Complete(f client.Factory, args []string) error {
 	}
 	o.client = client
 
-	backup, err := o.client.ArkV1().Backups(f.Namespace()).Get(o.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	o.backup = backup
+	o.Names = args
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -96,13 +111,34 @@ func (o *DeleteOptions) Validate(c *cobra.Command, args []string, f client.Facto
 		return errors.New("Ark client is not set; unable to proceed")
 	}
 
-	if o.backup == nil {
-		return errors.New("backup is not set; unable to proceed")
+	var (
+		hasNames    = len(o.Names) > 0
+		hasAll      = o.All
+		hasSelector = o.Selector.LabelSelector != nil
+	)
+
+	if !xor(hasNames, hasAll, hasSelector) {
+		return errors.New("you must specify exactly one of: specific backup name(s), the --all flag, or the --selector flag")
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
+// xor returns true if exactly one of the provided values is true,
+// or false otherwise.
+func xor(val bool, vals ...bool) bool {
+	res := val
+
+	for _, v := range vals {
+		if res && v {
+			return false
+		}
+		res = res || v
+	}
+
+	return res
+}
+
 // Run performs the delete backup operation.
 func (o *DeleteOptions) Run() error {
 	if !o.Confirm && !getConfirmation() {
@@ -110,14 +146,56 @@ func (o *DeleteOptions) Run() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	deleteRequest := backup.NewDeleteBackupRequest(o.backup.Name, string(o.backup.UID))
+	var (
+		backups []*arkv1api.Backup
+		errs    []error
+	)
 
-	if _, err := o.client.ArkV1().DeleteBackupRequests(o.namespace).Create(deleteRequest); err != nil {
-		return err
+	// get the list of backups to delete
+	switch {
+	case len(o.Names) > 0:
+		for _, name := range o.Names {
+			backup, err := o.client.ArkV1().Backups(o.namespace).Get(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+			if err != nil {
+				errs = append(errs, errors.WithStack(err))
+				continue
+			}
+
+			backups = append(backups, backup)
+		}
+	default:
+		selector := labels.Everything().String()
+		if o.Selector.LabelSelector != nil {
+			selector = o.Selector.String()
+		}
+
+		res, err := o.client.ArkV1().Backups(o.namespace).List(metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: selector})
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.WithStack(err)
+		}
+		for i := range res.Items {
+			backups = append(backups, &res.Items[i])
+		}
 	}
 
-	fmt.Printf("Request to delete backup %q submitted successfully.\nThe backup will be fully deleted after all associated data (disk snapshots, backup files, restores) are removed.\n", o.backup.Name)
-	return nil
+	if len(backups) == 0 {
+		fmt.Println("No backups found")
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// create a backup deletion request for each
+	for _, b := range backups {
+		deleteRequest := backup.NewDeleteBackupRequest(b.Name, string(b.UID))
+
+		if _, err := o.client.ArkV1().DeleteBackupRequests(o.namespace).Create(deleteRequest); err != nil {
+			errs = append(errs, err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		fmt.Printf("Request to delete backup %q submitted successfully.\nThe backup will be fully deleted after all associated data (disk snapshots, backup files, restores) are removed.\n", b.Name)
+	}
+
+	return kubeerrs.NewAggregate(errs)
 }
 
 func getConfirmation() bool {