How to Close Comments in Microsoft Word (And What That Really Means for Your Document)

Comments in Microsoft Word are one of its most useful collaboration features — until they're not. Whether you're finalizing a document, reducing visual clutter, or preparing a clean version for submission, knowing how to close, hide, or remove comments in Word is a practical skill with more than one answer depending on what you actually need.

The phrase "close comments" can mean a few different things, and the right approach depends on your version of Word, your operating system, and your intent.

What "Closing" Comments Actually Means in Word

Unlike a dialog box or a panel, comments in Word don't have a single "close" button. The concept splits into three distinct actions:

• Hiding comments — keeping them in the document but removing them from view
• Collapsing the comments pane — closing the sidebar that shows comment threads
• Deleting comments — permanently removing them from the file

These are meaningfully different outcomes. Hiding comments preserves the data. Deleting them removes it entirely. Understanding which one you need is the first step.

How to Hide or Show Comments in Word

If you want comments to disappear from view without deleting them, you're working with Word's markup display settings.

In Word for Windows (Microsoft 365 / Word 2016–2021)

1. Go to the Review tab in the ribbon
2. Click Show Markup
3. Uncheck Comments from the dropdown list

This removes comment indicators from the document view while keeping them intact in the file. You can reverse it at any time by re-checking Comments in the same menu.

In Word for Mac

The path is nearly identical:

1. Open the Review tab
2. Select Show Markup
3. Toggle Comments off

Switching to a Clean View

Another option is changing the document view. Under Review → Tracking, you can switch the display mode from All Markup to No Markup. This shows the document as it would look with all tracked changes accepted and all comments hidden — without actually deleting anything.

This is particularly useful when you want to proofread the final text without the distraction of comment bubbles.

How to Close the Comments Pane

In newer versions of Word (especially Microsoft 365), clicking on a comment opens a threaded comments panel on the right side of the screen. To close this panel:

• Click the X on the comment panel itself, or
• Click somewhere in the main document body outside any comment thread
• On some versions, clicking Review → Comments (a toggle button) will show or hide the comments panel entirely

💡 The behavior here can vary slightly between Word versions and screen sizes. On smaller screens or in certain display configurations, Word may handle the comments panel differently.

How to Delete Comments in Word

If the goal is to permanently remove comments — for a final submission, a client-facing version, or a clean archive — deletion is the right move.

Delete a Single Comment

• Right-click the comment bubble or highlighted text
• Select Delete Comment

Or, with the comment selected, go to Review → Delete in the ribbon.

Delete All Comments at Once

1. Go to the Review tab
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Delete button
3. Select Delete All Comments in Document

This clears every comment in one action. There is no built-in undo after saving, so it's worth keeping a copy of the annotated version if the comments have any reference value.

Accept All Changes and Delete All Markup

If your document also contains tracked changes alongside comments, you may want to use Accept All Changes before or alongside deleting comments to fully clean the file. Both options live under the Review tab.

What Changes Between Word Versions 🖥️

The more recent your version, the more layered the comment system becomes. Threaded replies, @mentions, and resolved comments are features that appeared in later versions — and each of those adds a slightly different wrinkle to what "closing" a comment thread actually does.

Resolved comments, for example, are a distinct state in Microsoft 365. When you resolve a comment (right-click → Resolve Comment), it collapses the thread and marks it as complete — but doesn't delete it. You can view resolved comments by enabling them under Show Markup → Resolved Comments.

Factors That Shape the Right Approach

Several variables determine which of these methods fits a given situation:

• Collaboration status — Are others still reviewing the document? Deleting comments they haven't seen is a different call than closing your own notes.
• File format — Comments behave differently in .docx vs .doc (legacy format) vs exported PDFs. PDFs can carry comments if exported a certain way.
• Version of Word — The interface and available options differ meaningfully between Word 2016 and Microsoft 365.
• Platform — Word on Windows, Word on Mac, Word Online (browser), and the Word mobile app all have slightly different interfaces for managing comments.
• Purpose of "closing" — Hiding for review, collapsing for focus, or deleting for finalization each call for a different method.

Word Online, in particular, has a more limited comment management interface compared to the desktop application. Some options available in the desktop version — like the granular Show Markup toggles — may be simplified or absent in the browser version.

The right method isn't purely a technical question. It also depends on where you are in the document's lifecycle and who else has access to it.