Document Editing Problems

How to Delete Sentences Beginning with Specific Words in Word

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to remove entire sentences that start with a specific phrase using the Find and Replace feature.

How to Delete Sentences Beginning with Specific Words in Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Cleaning up or formatting a document where certain recurring sentence patterns need to be deleted or replaced.
Observed behavior: The user needs a precise wildcard search pattern to highlight and delete the target sentences without manually selecting each one.

Before you start

Make sure you understand the structure of the sentences you want to delete. If your text contains abbreviations ending in periods (like 'Mr.' or 'Dr.'), basic wildcard searches might stop prematurely.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Basic Wildcards in Find and Replace

Utilize Word's Find and Replace feature with basic wildcards to automatically locate and remove sentences starting with a target phrase.

This method is ideal for simple sentences that end with a single period. The asterisk (*) wildcard represents any string of characters between your starting words and the ending punctuation.

Open Find and Replace

Press Ctrl+H on your keyboard to open the Replace dialog box.

Enable Wildcards

Click the 'More' button to expand the search options, then check the box for 'Use wildcards'.

Enter the Search Pattern

In the 'Find what' box, type your specific starting phrase followed by an asterisk and a period. For example, type: They had*.

Execute the Deletion

Leave the 'Replace with' box completely empty, and click 'Replace All' to delete all matching sentences.

Watch for Abbreviations: The search operation will stop at the very first period it encounters. If your sentence contains an abbreviation like 'Mr.', it will cause an incorrect or incomplete match.

Solution 2

Use Advanced Wildcard Grouping for Structured Sentences

If your sentences follow a strict pattern with varying middle words, use grouped wildcards for precise targeting.

Advanced Document Editing

Use WPS Writer to Delete Specific Sentences Using Wildcards

WPS Office offers a fully featured Writer application that perfectly supports advanced Find and Replace functions, including wildcard searches. You can clean up your documents seamlessly using the same familiar methods.

1. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document you wish to edit.
2. Open Find and Replace: Press Ctrl+H on your keyboard to launch the Find and Replace dialog.
3. Turn on Wildcards: Click the 'Options' or 'More' button to expand the menu, then check the 'Use wildcards' box.
4. Input the Pattern: Enter your wildcard pattern (such as They had*.) in the Find box and ensure the Replace box is empty.
5. Delete Matches: Click 'Replace All' to instantly locate and remove all targeted sentences in the document.

Free to download and use with no subscription requiredFully compatible with Microsoft Word document formats (.docx, .doc)Supports advanced Find and Replace syntax, including wildcards and groupingLightweight performance with a familiar, easy-to-use interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my wildcard search stop at an abbreviation like 'Dr.' or 'Mr.'?

When you use an asterisk and a period (*.) in a wildcard search, the word processor is instructed to stop at the first period it finds. If an abbreviation contains a period, the tool recognizes it as the end of your targeted pattern, which results in incomplete sentence deletion.

Can I use this method to delete paragraphs instead of sentences?

Yes, you can modify your search pattern by replacing the period with a paragraph mark code (^13). For example, searching for 'Specific word*^13' will highlight everything from the specified word all the way to the end of the paragraph.

Is the 'Use wildcards' option case-sensitive?

Yes, when you enable the 'Use wildcards' feature in Word or WPS Writer, the search automatically becomes case-sensitive. Ensure that the specific words you type in the 'Find what' box match the exact capitalization used in your document.

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