How to Delete Horizontal Lines in Microsoft Word That Won’t Go Away

If you’ve ever typed a few dashes or underscores in Microsoft Word and hit “Enter,” you’ve probably been surprised by a bold horizontal line suddenly stretching across the page. Annoying, right? Even worse—when you try to delete it, it just won’t go away. Here’s how to get rid of it for good.

Why It Happens

That line isn’t just a bunch of characters—it’s an auto-formatting feature in Word. When you type three or more hyphens (—), underscores (___), or equal signs (===) and press “Enter,” Word automatically converts them into a paragraph border.

This isn’t just text you can backspace over—it’s a formatting rule applied to the paragraph.

The Quick Fix: Use Undo

Right after it happens, the easiest thing to do is press Ctrl + Z (or Cmd + Z on Mac). That will undo the automatic formatting and bring back your plain dashes.

But if it’s already saved or you’ve made other edits since, here’s how to remove it.

How to Delete the Line That Won’t Go Away

Method 1: Clear the Paragraph Border

1. Click directly above the line.
   This selects the paragraph with the border applied.
2. Go to the “Home” tab.
3. Click the Borders icon (in the “Paragraph” group—it looks like a small square divided into sections).
4. Select “No Border” from the dropdown menu.

Boom. Line gone.

Method 2: Use the Borders and Shading Dialog

If the first method doesn’t work:

1. Click in the paragraph above the line.
2. Go to Home > Borders > Borders and Shading.
3. In the dialog box, click None under “Setting.”
4. Click OK.

Still seeing the line? Try selecting multiple paragraphs and repeating the steps above. Sometimes the border sticks to the paragraph before the line, not the one it appears under.

How to Stop It From Happening Again

If you’re tired of this formatting quirk, you can turn it off:

1. Go to File > Options > Proofing.
2. Click AutoCorrect Options.
3. Under the AutoFormat As You Type tab, uncheck:
   • “Border lines” (or “Apply as you type” > “Border lines” depending on your version)
4. Click OK.

Now Word won’t auto-magically turn your dashes into borders anymore.

Final Tip

If you copy and paste text from somewhere else and see a stubborn line appear, the border might have come with the formatting. Use Paste Special > Unformatted Text to avoid bringing unwanted styles into your document.

Got questions or stuck with another Word mystery? Leave a comment below—happy to help!