Microsoft Office

How To Remove Highlight In Microsoft Word

In Microsoft Word, removing highlights can be a simple yet essential task for individuals who want to tidy up their documents. Did you know that highlights can be distracting and make it difficult to read and understand the content? Fortunately, Word provides a user-friendly feature that allows you to remove highlights quickly and efficiently.

To remove a highlight in Microsoft Word, all you need to do is select the text with the highlight and click on the "Highlight" button in the Home tab. By doing this, the highlight will be removed, leaving your document clean and professional. This straightforward process is helpful when correcting errors, formatting changes, or simply wanting to have a clean-looking document.



How To Remove Highlight In Microsoft Word

Removing Highlight in Microsoft Word: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you frequently work with documents in Microsoft Word, you might come across situations where you need to remove highlighted text. Whether you're editing someone else's work or simply reformatting your own documents, removing highlight is a common task. Fortunately, Word provides several methods to easily remove highlight without affecting the rest of the text. In this guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of removing highlight in Microsoft Word, so you can seamlessly edit and format your documents.

Method 1: Removing Highlight Using the Clear Formatting Option

One straightforward way to remove highlight in Microsoft Word is by using the "Clear Formatting" option. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the highlight that you want to remove.
  • Go to the "Home" tab in the Word ribbon.
  • Locate the "Clear Formatting" button in the Font group and click on it.
  • The highlighted text will now be cleared of any formatting, including the highlight.

This method allows you to remove highlight without affecting the font, style, or other formatting elements in the selected text. It's a quick and easy way to remove highlight when you only want to eliminate the highlighting and keep the rest of the text intact.

Method 1.1: Removing Highlight Using the Clear Formatting Shortcut

Alternatively, you can use a keyboard shortcut to quickly remove highlight in Word. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the highlight that you want to remove.
  • Press the "Ctrl + Spacebar" keys simultaneously.
  • The highlight will be removed from the selected text.

The "Ctrl + Spacebar" keyboard shortcut applies the default formatting to the selected text, which includes removing any highlight. This method is especially useful when you need to remove highlight quickly without navigating through the Word ribbon.

Method 1.2: Removing Highlight Using the Clear All Formatting Option

If you want to remove all formatting from the selected text, including highlight, you can use the "Clear All Formatting" option. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the highlight that you want to remove.
  • Go to the "Home" tab in the Word ribbon.
  • Locate the "Clear All Formatting" button in the Font group and click on it.
  • All formatting, including the highlight, will be removed from the selected text, leaving it in the default formatting.

Use this method when you want to remove not only the highlight but also other formatting elements, such as font style, size, color, and more.

Method 2: Removing Highlight Using the Font Color Option

If the highlight in your Word document is applied as a specific font color, you can remove it by changing the font color to match the rest of the text. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the highlighting that you want to remove.
  • Go to the "Home" tab in the Word ribbon.
  • Click on the down arrow next to the Font Color button in the Font group.
  • Select the same color as the rest of the text to remove the highlight.

By changing the font color to match the rest of the text, the highlight will no longer be visible. This method is effective if the highlight is applied using a specific font color.

Method 2.1: Changing Font Color Using the Bucket Fill Format Painter

Another way to remove highlight by changing the font color is by using the Bucket Fill Format Painter. Here's how:

  • Select a portion of the text that doesn't have highlight.
  • Double-click on the Format Painter button in the Home tab.
  • Select the text with the highlight to apply the same formatting as the selected non-highlighted text.
  • The highlight will be removed, and the selected text will match the formatting of the non-highlighted text.

The Bucket Fill Format Painter allows you to copy the formatting of one portion of the text and apply it to another. By copying the formatting from non-highlighted text, you can remove the highlight from the selected text.

Method 2.2: Applying "No Color" Font Color to Remove Highlight

If you prefer not to manually select the font color to remove highlight, Word provides an option to apply the "No Color" font color. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the highlighting that you want to remove.
  • Go to the "Home" tab in the Word ribbon.
  • Click on the down arrow next to the Font Color button in the Font group.
  • Select the "No Color" option.

By applying the "No Color" font color, the highlight will be removed, and the selected text will have no visible changes in formatting.

Method 3: Removing Highlight Using the Find and Replace Function

If you have a large document with multiple instances of highlighted text, using the Find and Replace function in Word can be efficient. Here's how you can remove highlight using this method:

  • Press "Ctrl + H" to open the Find and Replace dialog box.
  • In the "Find what" field, enter the highlight color or any distinctive text in the highlighted area.
  • Leave the "Replace with" field blank to remove the highlighted text completely, or enter the replacement text if you want to substitute the highlighted text.
  • Click on "Replace All" to remove all instances of the highlight throughout the document.

The Find and Replace function allows you to quickly search for specific text or formatting elements and replace them as needed. It is a powerful tool when dealing with multiple instances of highlighted text that need to be removed.

Method 4: Removing Highlight Using the Clear Highlighting Option

If you have applied the highlight using the "Text Highlight Color" feature in Word, you can remove it using the "Clear Highlighting" option. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the highlight that you want to remove.
  • Right-click on the highlighted text and choose "Clear Highlighting" from the context menu.
  • The highlight will be removed from the selected text.

This method specifically targets the highlight applied using the "Text Highlight Color" feature in Word. It is a quick way to remove the highlight without affecting other formatting elements.

Method 4.1: Clearing All Highlighting in the Document

If you want to remove all highlighting in the entire document, you can use the "Select All" option and then clear the highlighting. Here's how:

  • Press "Ctrl + A" to select the entire document.
  • Right-click on the selected text and choose "Clear Highlighting" from the context menu.
  • All highlighting in the document will be removed.

Use this method when you want to eliminate all highlighting in the document without manually selecting each instance.

Removing Highlight in Microsoft Word: Another Perspective

In addition to the methods discussed above, there are alternative approaches to removing highlight in Microsoft Word. Experimenting with different techniques may help you find the most efficient method for your specific workflow.

Method 5: Copying Text to a New Document

If you're unable to remove the highlight using the methods mentioned earlier or the highlight is persistent, you can try copying the text to a new document. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the highlight that you want to remove.
  • Right-click on the selected text and choose "Copy" from the context menu.
  • Create a new Word document.
  • Right-click in the new document and choose "Paste" from the context menu.
  • The text will be pasted without any formatting or highlight.

This method eliminates any persistent highlight and copies only the plain text to the new document, ensuring there is no trace of the original highlighting.

Method 6: Applying a Different Highlight Color to Override the Previous Highlight

If changing the font color or applying the "Clear Formatting" option doesn't remove the highlight, you can try overriding it by applying a different highlight color. Here's how:

  • Select the text with the persistent highlight.
  • Go to the "Home" tab in the Word ribbon.
  • Click on the Text Highlight Color button in the Font group.
  • Select a different highlight color to override the previous highlight.

Applying a different highlight color can sometimes effectively remove persistent highlighting because the new color covers the previous highlight. This method is worth trying if the previous methods do not yield the desired results.

Method 7: Using the "Track Changes" Feature

If the highlighted text is part of a tracked changes document, using the "Track Changes" feature can help you remove the highlight. Here's how:

  • Go to the "Review" tab in the Word ribbon.
  • In the "Tracking" group, click on the down arrow next to "Track Changes".
  • Choose "Final" from the dropdown menu to accept all changes and remove the highlight.

Using the "Final" option in the "Track Changes" feature accepts all changes and removes the highlight from the tracked document. This method is helpful when highlighting is connected to tracked changes and needs to be eliminated.

Removing Highlight in Microsoft Word

If you want to remove a highlight in Microsoft Word, there are several methods you can use. Here are two common methods:

Method 1: Clear Formatting

The quickest way to remove a highlight is to clear the formatting. Follow these steps:

  • Select the text with the highlight.
  • Go to the "Home" tab in the Microsoft Word ribbon.
  • Click on the "Clear Formatting" button.

Method 2: Font Color

If the highlight is applied using a font color, you can remove it by changing the font color. Here's how:

  • Select the highlighted text.
  • Go to the "Home" tab in the Microsoft Word ribbon.
  • Click on the "Font Color" button and choose the same color as the text.

By following these methods, you can easily remove the highlight from your text in Microsoft Word.


Key Takeaways

  • Removing highlights in Microsoft Word is easy and can be done with just a few simple steps.
  • You can remove highlight from specific text or remove all highlights in your document at once.
  • To remove highlight from specific text, select the text and click on the "Highlight" button in the "Font" group.
  • To remove all highlights in your document, go to the "Home" tab, click on the arrow next to the "Text Highlight Color" button, and choose "No Color" option.
  • Removing highlights can help make your document look more professional and clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most commonly asked questions about removing highlights in Microsoft Word:

1. How do I remove a single highlight in Microsoft Word?

To remove a single highlight in Microsoft Word:

1. Select the highlighted text.

2. Click on the "Text Highlight Color" button in the "Font" group on the "Home" tab.

3. Select "No Color" from the drop-down menu.

2. Can I remove all highlights in a document at once?

Yes, you can remove all highlights in a document at once in Microsoft Word:

1. Press "Ctrl + A" on your keyboard to select the entire document.

2. Click on the "Text Highlight Color" button in the "Font" group on the "Home" tab.

3. Select "No Color" from the drop-down menu.

3. How do I remove all highlights in a specific section of a document?

To remove highlights in a specific section of a document:

1. Select the text of the section you want to remove highlights from.

2. Click on the "Text Highlight Color" button in the "Font" group on the "Home" tab.

3. Select "No Color" from the drop-down menu.

4. Is there a way to remove highlights applied by someone else in a shared document?

Yes, you can remove highlights applied by someone else in a shared document:

1. Select the highlighted text.

2. Click on the "Text Highlight Color" button in the "Font" group on the "Home" tab.

3. Select "No Color" from the drop-down menu.

5. Can I remove highlights in Word Online?

Yes, you can remove highlights in Word Online:

1. Select the highlighted text.

2. Click on the "Text Highlight Color" button in the "Home" tab of the ribbon.

3. Select "No Color" from the drop-down menu.



In conclusion, removing highlights in Microsoft Word is a simple and straightforward process. By following these steps, you can easily get rid of any unwanted highlights in your document. First, select the text or portion of text that has the highlighting you wish to remove. Then, go to the "Home" tab and click on the "Text Highlight Color" button to open the dropdown menu.

Next, choose the "No Color" option from the menu to remove the highlight. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl + Shift + N" to quickly remove the highlight. It's important to note that removing the highlight does not delete or change the actual text; it only removes the visual highlighting.


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