Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 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: Moving Breaks Quickly.

Moving Breaks Quickly

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 20, 2026)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


In several WordTips you learn how to insert breaks into your text. If, after inserting them, you discover that you need to move the break to a new location, you can follow these steps:

  1. Make sure you are in Draft view. (This process is much easier if you are working in Draft view.)
  2. Select the break, just as you would select any other text.
  3. Press Ctrl+X. The break is cut from your document.
  4. Position the insertion point where you want to insert the break.
  5. Press Ctrl+V. The break is inserted in your document.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (275) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Moving Breaks Quickly.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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