diff --git a/tests/frame/filter_test.py b/tests/frame/filter_test.py
index e94aee1be4..d2b3fd34f3 100644
--- a/tests/frame/filter_test.py
+++ b/tests/frame/filter_test.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def test_filter_missing_column(
     df = nw.from_native(constructor(data))
 
     if "polars" in str(constructor):
-        msg = r"^unable to find column \"c\"; valid columns: \[\"a\", \"b\"\]"
+        msg = r"unable to find column \"c\"; valid columns: \[\"a\", \"b\"\]"
     elif any(id_ == constructor_id for id_ in ("duckdb", "pyspark")):
         msg = r"\n\nHint: Did you mean one of these columns: \['a', 'b'\]?"
     else:
diff --git a/tests/frame/select_test.py b/tests/frame/select_test.py
index 2496ba7f02..390eb2123a 100644
--- a/tests/frame/select_test.py
+++ b/tests/frame/select_test.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def test_missing_columns(
         # and we have no way to recover exactly which columns the user
         # tried selecting. So, we just emit their message (which varies
         # across versions...)
-        msg = r"^e"
+        msg = r"e"
     elif constructor_id == "pyspark[connect]":  # pragma: no cover
         msg = r"^\[UNRESOLVED_COLUMN.WITH_SUGGESTION\]"
     elif any(id_ == constructor_id for id_ in ("duckdb", "pyspark")):
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def test_missing_columns(
 
     # for the next two cases the error message is different in Polars
     if constructor_id == "polars[lazy]":
-        msg = r"^fdfa"
+        msg = r"fdfa"
     elif constructor_id == "polars[eager]":
         msg = r"\n\nHint: Did you mean one of these columns: \['a', 'b', 'z'\]?"
     with pytest.raises(ColumnNotFoundError, match=msg):
diff --git a/tests/frame/with_columns_test.py b/tests/frame/with_columns_test.py
index 9658d4e678..cd826adb23 100644
--- a/tests/frame/with_columns_test.py
+++ b/tests/frame/with_columns_test.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def test_with_columns_missing_column(
     df = nw.from_native(constructor(data))
 
     if "polars" in str(constructor):
-        msg = r"^c"
+        msg = r"c"
     elif any(id_ == constructor_id for id_ in ("duckdb", "pyspark")):
         msg = r"\n\nHint: Did you mean one of these columns: \['a', 'b'\]?"
     elif constructor_id == "pyspark[connect]":  # pragma: no cover