Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. 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: Resizing a Text Box.

Resizing a Text Box

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 10, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021

Text boxes, regardless of what they contain, can be easily sized in Word. To change the size of an existing text box, follow these steps:

Click once on the information within the text box. A box appears for the object (this is designated by eight squares, or handles, around the perimeter).
Use the mouse to point to one of the handles. The pointer will change to a double-headed arrow. Click on the left mouse button.
Drag the handle to resize the text box.
Release the mouse button when the text box is the size you want. The information it contains is reformatted to fit within the newly resized text box.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11256) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Resizing a Text Box.

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. Learn more about Allen...

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