groovy: how to replaceAll ')' with ' '

You have to escape the \ inside the replaceAll

def str2 = str1.replaceAll('\\)',' ')

Same as in Java:

def str2 = str1.replaceAll('\\)',' ')

You have to escape the backslash (with another backslash).

A more Groovy way: def str2 = str1.replaceAll(/\)/,' ')