rm -rf /base-dir-path/*/work isn't the same as /base-dir-path/*/*/work
On tcsh 6.18.00 or newer:
set globstarrm -rf /base-path/path/**/workOn bash 4.0 or newer:
shopt -s globstarrm -rf /base-dir/path/**/workOn ksh:
set -o globstar # or set -Grm -rf /base-dir/path/**/workOn zsh:
rm -rf /base-dir/path/**/workAlternately, with a find compliant with the 2006 revision of POSIX:
find /base-dir/path -type d -name work -exec rm -rf -- '{}' +If you don't have a find with -exec ... {} +, then you likely don't have an xargs -0 either, and need to do this the inefficient way to be safe:
find /base-dir/path -type d -name work -exec rm -rf -- '{}' ';'