Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Selecting a Line of Text.
If you are new to Word, coming from using a different type of word processor, you probably noticed that there is no command in Word to delete a line of text. You might view this as an oversight, but it really isn't. Once you learn a very simple technique, you'll find it very easy to delete a line (or more) of text.
Move the mouse pointer to the left of the line of text you want to select. Don't move the mouse pointer into the style area (if you have the style area displayed), but just to the left of the first character in the line. The mouse pointer turns into an arrow pointing up and right. Click once on the left mouse button, and the entire line of text is selected. If you want, you can hold down the mouse button while the mouse pointer is pointing up and to the right, and you can select multiple lines of text by dragging up or down.
Once you've selected the line (or lines), you are then able to do any other editing function on that selection, including deleting it (by pressing Del or Ctrl+X).
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (117) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Selecting a Line of Text.
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2015-03-31 08:14:27
Rich
Nice tip Philip! Your Shift and Ctrl+Shift options work well.
Thanks!
2015-03-30 08:46:27
Philip Ulanowsky
How about having the cursor at the front of the line and pressing Shift+down arrow or Shift+End? Works for me, just as Ctrl+Shift+down arrow selects rest of paragraph from wherever cursor is, and Shift+End similarly, but for a single line.
2015-03-29 08:13:09
Rich
PFL gave me the solution. The pointer does have to be to the left of the margin setting for this feature to work.
Thanks to both PFL and Nora for responding!
2015-03-28 14:45:47
PFL
The instructions say "but just to the left of the first character in the line".
The cursor has to be placed left of the margin setting. This is probably further left than the first character.
2015-03-28 11:10:47
Nora
The mouse button must not be depressed as you move into position for the pointer to become an arrow. Is that the problem?
2015-03-28 08:37:26
Rich
Does this feature need to have some option checked?
I tried your instructions, "Move the mouse pointer to the left of the line of text you want to select.", but the cursor does not change to the arrow pointing up and to the right.
Thank you.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: 
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