PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token

What the message looks like

PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected token ";" in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/x/functions.php on line 214

Common causes

• Syntax removed in PHP 8: string offsets with curly braces $str{0}, create_function or other old constructs.
• The file is half uploaded or truncated, for example after an interrupted FTP or deploy.
• A semicolon, brace or quote is missing in the line before.
• Invisible characters from the editor: a BOM at the start of the file or non-breaking spaces.
• A plugin is parsed by a newer PHP version than it supports.

Check

1. Lint the reported file
   php -l /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/x/functions.phpCopy
2. PHP version and recent errors
   php -v; tail -n 20 /var/log/php8.2-fpm.logCopy
3. Find old string offset syntax
   grep -rnE '\$[a-zA-Z_]+\{[0-9]+\}' /var/www/html --include='*.php' | headCopy
4. Find BOM and non-breaking spaces
   grep -rlP '^\xEF\xBB\xBF' /var/www/html --include='*.php' | headCopy

Fix

• Run php -l on the reported file first: the line in the log is often not the real cause.
• When moving to PHP 8, replace removed syntax: $str{0} becomes $str[0], create_function becomes a closure.
• Re-upload truncated files or replay the update if the upload was incomplete.
• Remove BOM and non-breaking spaces and save the file as UTF-8 without BOM.
• Clear the opcache afterwards, otherwise the old broken version keeps running.

FAQ

Why does PHP point at a line that looks fine?

Usually a semicolon or brace is missing before it. Check two or three lines above the message.

The error started right after a PHP upgrade – should I roll back?

As an emergency measure yes, but better to find and replace the removed syntax.