diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/c-ts-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/c-ts-mode.el
index c6cb9520e58..7f4f6f11387 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/c-ts-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/c-ts-mode.el
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ MODE is either `c' or `cpp'."
    `(((call_expression
        (call_expression function: (identifier) @fn)
        @c-ts-mode--fontify-DEFUN)
-      (:match "^DEFUN$" @fn))
+      (:match "\\`DEFUN\\'" @fn))
 
      ((function_definition type: (_) @for-each-tail)
       @c-ts-mode--fontify-for-each-tail
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/cmake-ts-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/cmake-ts-mode.el
index d83a956af21..9d35d8077bd 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/cmake-ts-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/cmake-ts-mode.el
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@
    :language 'cmake
    :feature 'number
    '(((unquoted_argument) @font-lock-number-face
-      (:match "^[[:digit:]]*\\.?[[:digit:]]*\\.?[[:digit:]]+$" @font-lock-number-face)))
+      (:match "\\`[[:digit:]]*\\.?[[:digit:]]*\\.?[[:digit:]]+\\'"
+              @font-lock-number-face)))
 
    :language 'cmake
    :feature 'string
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/java-ts-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/java-ts-mode.el
index 44dfd74cafd..463872dcbc8 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/java-ts-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/java-ts-mode.el
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ the available version of Tree-sitter for java."
    :override t
    :feature 'constant
    `(((identifier) @font-lock-constant-face
-      (:match "^[A-Z_][A-Z_\\d]*$" @font-lock-constant-face))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z_][A-Z_\\d]*\\'" @font-lock-constant-face))
      [(true) (false)] @font-lock-constant-face)
    :language 'java
    :override t
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ the available version of Tree-sitter for java."
      (scoped_identifier (identifier) @font-lock-constant-face)
 
      ((scoped_identifier name: (identifier) @font-lock-type-face)
-      (:match "^[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
 
      (type_identifier) @font-lock-type-face
 
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/js.el b/lisp/progmodes/js.el
index 52ed19cc682..414b6eb2baf 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/js.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/js.el
@@ -3493,7 +3493,7 @@ This function is intended for use in `after-change-functions'."
    :language 'javascript
    :feature 'constant
    '(((identifier) @font-lock-constant-face
-      (:match "^[A-Z_][A-Z_\\d]*$" @font-lock-constant-face))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z_][A-Z_\\d]*\\'" @font-lock-constant-face))
 
      [(true) (false) (null)] @font-lock-constant-face)
 
@@ -3612,7 +3612,7 @@ This function is intended for use in `after-change-functions'."
    :feature 'number
    '((number) @font-lock-number-face
      ((identifier) @font-lock-number-face
-      (:match "^\\(:?NaN\\|Infinity\\)$" @font-lock-number-face)))
+      (:match "\\`\\(:?NaN\\|Infinity\\)\\'" @font-lock-number-face)))
 
    :language 'javascript
    :feature 'operator
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/python.el b/lisp/progmodes/python.el
index fd196df7550..d9ca37145e1 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/python.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/python.el
@@ -1106,7 +1106,7 @@ fontified."
    :language 'python
    `([,@python--treesit-keywords] @font-lock-keyword-face
      ((identifier) @font-lock-keyword-face
-      (:match "^self$" @font-lock-keyword-face)))
+      (:match "\\`self\\'" @font-lock-keyword-face)))
 
    :feature 'definition
    :language 'python
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/rust-ts-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/rust-ts-mode.el
index c3cf8d0cf44..b55af0b49e3 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/rust-ts-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/rust-ts-mode.el
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
                               eol))
                       @font-lock-builtin-face)))
      ((identifier) @font-lock-type-face
-      (:match "^\\(:?Err\\|Ok\\|None\\|Some\\)$" @font-lock-type-face)))
+      (:match "\\`\\(:?Err\\|Ok\\|None\\|Some\\)\\'" @font-lock-type-face)))
 
    :language 'rust
    :feature 'comment
@@ -212,11 +212,11 @@
      (scoped_use_list path: (scoped_identifier
                              name: (identifier) @font-lock-constant-face))
      ((use_as_clause alias: (identifier) @font-lock-type-face)
-      (:match "^[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
      ((use_as_clause path: (identifier) @font-lock-type-face)
-      (:match "^[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
      ((use_list (identifier) @font-lock-type-face)
-      (:match "^[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z]" @font-lock-type-face))
      (use_wildcard [(identifier) @rust-ts-mode--fontify-scope
                     (scoped_identifier
                      name: (identifier) @rust-ts-mode--fontify-scope)])
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@
      ((scoped_identifier name: (identifier) @rust-ts-mode--fontify-tail))
      ((scoped_identifier path: (identifier) @font-lock-type-face)
       (:match
-       "^\\(u8\\|u16\\|u32\\|u64\\|u128\\|usize\\|i8\\|i16\\|i32\\|i64\\|i128\\|isize\\|char\\|str\\)$"
+       "\\`\\(u8\\|u16\\|u32\\|u64\\|u128\\|usize\\|i8\\|i16\\|i32\\|i64\\|i128\\|isize\\|char\\|str\\)\\'"
        @font-lock-type-face))
      ((scoped_identifier path: (identifier) @rust-ts-mode--fontify-scope))
      ((scoped_type_identifier path: (identifier) @rust-ts-mode--fontify-scope))
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@
    :feature 'constant
    `((boolean_literal) @font-lock-constant-face
      ((identifier) @font-lock-constant-face
-      (:match "^[A-Z][A-Z\\d_]*$" @font-lock-constant-face)))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z][A-Z\\d_]*\\'" @font-lock-constant-face)))
 
    :language 'rust
    :feature 'variable
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/sh-script.el b/lisp/progmodes/sh-script.el
index 54da1e0468e..9bc1f4dcfdc 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/sh-script.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/sh-script.el
@@ -3363,7 +3363,7 @@ See `sh-mode--treesit-other-keywords' and
    :feature 'number
    :language 'bash
    `(((word) @font-lock-number-face
-      (:match "^[0-9]+$" @font-lock-number-face)))
+      (:match "\\`[0-9]+\\'" @font-lock-number-face)))
 
    :feature 'bracket
    :language 'bash
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/typescript-ts-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/typescript-ts-mode.el
index 1c19a031878..5df34de0472 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/typescript-ts-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/typescript-ts-mode.el
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ Argument LANGUAGE is either `typescript' or `tsx'."
    :language language
    :feature 'constant
    `(((identifier) @font-lock-constant-face
-      (:match "^[A-Z_][A-Z_\\d]*$" @font-lock-constant-face))
+      (:match "\\`[A-Z_][A-Z_\\d]*\\'" @font-lock-constant-face))
      [(true) (false) (null)] @font-lock-constant-face)
 
    :language language
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ Argument LANGUAGE is either `typescript' or `tsx'."
    :feature 'number
    `((number) @font-lock-number-face
      ((identifier) @font-lock-number-face
-      (:match "^\\(:?NaN\\|Infinity\\)$" @font-lock-number-face)))
+      (:match "\\`\\(:?NaN\\|Infinity\\)\\'" @font-lock-number-face)))
 
    :language language
    :feature 'operator
diff --git a/test/src/treesit-tests.el b/test/src/treesit-tests.el
index fef603840f9..69db37fc0b4 100644
--- a/test/src/treesit-tests.el
+++ b/test/src/treesit-tests.el
@@ -368,14 +368,14 @@ BODY is the test body."
                ;; String query.
                '("(string) @string
 (pair key: (_) @keyword)
-((_) @bob (#match \"^B.b$\" @bob))
+((_) @bob (#match \"\\\\`B.b\\\\'\" @bob))
 (number) @number
 ((number) @n3 (#equal \"3\" @n3))
 ((number) @n3p (#pred treesit--ert-pred-last-sibling @n3p))"
                  ;; Sexp query.
                  ((string) @string
                   (pair key: (_) @keyword)
-                  ((_) @bob (:match "^B.b$" @bob))
+                  ((_) @bob (:match "\\`B.b\\'" @bob))
                   (number) @number
                   ((number) @n3 (:equal "3" @n3))
                   ((number) @n3p (:pred treesit--ert-pred-last-sibling