The fastest way to clear formatting

To remove all formatting from text in Word, select the text you want to change, then press Ctrl+M on Windows or Command+M on Mac. This clears bold, italic, underline, color, font size, and most other direct formatting in one action. The text reverts to the style applied to that paragraph — usually Normal or Body Text.

If you want to remove formatting from a single word or phrase, click at the start of it, hold Shift, and click at the end to select it. Then press Ctrl+M (or Command+M). For larger sections, triple-click to select a paragraph, or click and drag to select multiple paragraphs at once.

This keyboard shortcut is the quickest method because it works instantly without opening menus. It removes formatting you applied directly to the text — like making something bold or changing its color — but leaves the underlying paragraph style in place.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+M (Windows) or Command+M (Mac) on selected text to strip away bold, italic, color, font size, and other direct formatting in one step.
  • The Clear Formatting button in the Home tab does the same thing and is useful if you prefer clicking over keyboard shortcuts.
  • Clearing formatting removes only what you added directly to the text, not the paragraph style that controls spacing and alignment.
  • If you need to remove formatting from an entire document at once, you can select all text with Ctrl+A, then clear formatting.

Using the Clear Formatting button

If you prefer not to use a keyboard shortcut, the Clear Formatting button is in the Home tab on the ribbon. Select your text first, then look for the button that looks like an eraser with an "A" on it — it sits in the Font group, usually near the Bold and Italic buttons.

Click that button and Word removes the same formatting that Ctrl+M removes. This method takes slightly longer than the keyboard shortcut but works the same way. Some versions of Word label it "Clear All Formatting" when you hover over it.

Clearing formatting from an entire document

To remove formatting from everything in your document at once, press Ctrl+A (or Command+A on Mac) to select all text. Then press Ctrl+M or click the Clear Formatting button. Word strips formatting from every paragraph.

Be aware that this removes all direct formatting — bold, italic, colors, font changes, and manual spacing adjustments. Your text will revert to whatever default style is assigned to each paragraph. If your document uses different styles for headings and body text, those style names stay in place, but any formatting you added on top of them disappears.

The difference between clearing formatting and resetting styles

Clearing formatting removes only the direct changes you made to text — the bold you added, the color you changed, the font size you increased. It does not touch the paragraph style itself. If a paragraph is styled as "Heading 1," clearing formatting keeps it as Heading 1 but removes any extra bold or color you layered on top.

Resetting a style is different. If you want to change what Heading 1 looks like everywhere in your document, you right-click the style in the Styles pane and choose "Modify." That changes the style definition itself, not just one instance of it. For most everyday formatting cleanup, clearing formatting is what you need.

When clearing formatting does not work as expected

If you clear formatting and the text still looks different from what you expected, the text may be using a paragraph style that has built-in formatting. For example, if a line is styled as "Heading 1," clearing formatting removes any extra bold you added, but the Heading 1 style itself still makes the text large and bold.

To change how that styled text looks, you need to modify the style, not clear formatting. Open the Styles pane (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S on Windows), right-click the style name, and choose "Modify." From there you can change the font, size, color, and spacing that the style applies.

Removing formatting from pasted text

When you copy text from a website or another document and paste it into Word, it often brings its original formatting with it — colors, fonts, and spacing that do not match your document. To paste without formatting, use Ctrl+Shift+V (Windows) or Command+Shift+V (Mac) instead of the regular paste shortcut.

This opens the Paste Special dialog. Choose "Unformatted Text" and click OK. Word pastes only the words, with no formatting attached. You can then apply your own formatting or let the paragraph style handle it. This is faster than pasting normally and then clearing formatting afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing formatting delete the text?

No. Clearing formatting removes only the visual changes you made — bold, color, font size, and so on. The actual words stay in your document. You can undo the action with Ctrl+Z if you change your mind.

Will clearing formatting remove my paragraph spacing?

Clearing formatting removes spacing you added directly to a paragraph, but it keeps the spacing built into the paragraph style. If you want to change spacing that comes from the style itself, you need to modify the style in the Styles pane, not clear formatting.

Can I clear formatting from just one word in the middle of a sentence?

Yes. Click right before the word, hold Shift, and click right after it to select just that word. Then press Ctrl+M. The rest of the sentence keeps its formatting. This works for any size selection — a single character, a word, a phrase, or multiple paragraphs.

What if I want to keep some formatting but remove other parts?

Clearing formatting removes everything at once. If you want to keep bold but remove color, for example, you have to do it manually — select the text and click the Bold button to remove bold, or use the font color dropdown to change the color back. There is no shortcut to clear only certain types of formatting.

Does Ctrl+M work the same way in all versions of Word?

Yes. Ctrl+M (or Command+M on Mac) clears direct formatting in Word 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365. The keyboard shortcut is consistent across versions. If it does not work, check that you have text selected before pressing it.