Formatting Issues

How to Remove Unwanted Horizontal Lines in Word for Mac

WPS Editor Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to remove unexpected horizontal lines that have appeared in their document and cannot be deleted using standard methods.

How to Remove Unwanted Horizontal Lines in Word for Mac

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: macOS Sonoma
Scenario: Cleaning up document formatting when mysterious horizontal lines appear between paragraphs.
Observed behavior: Horizontal lines appear across the page but cannot be selected, clicked, or deleted using the backspace key, and removing obvious borders initially failed.

Before you start

Enable the 'Show/Hide ¶' (paragraph marks) feature on the Home tab to see exactly where your paragraph breaks are, which helps identify which paragraph is generating the border.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove Paragraph Borders Using the Format Menu

This is the most reliable method for clearing unselectable horizontal lines, which are usually automatic paragraph borders applied to adjacent text.

When you type three dashes or underscores and press Enter, Word automatically creates a paragraph border. Because it belongs to the paragraph formatting rather than existing as a standalone object, it cannot be selected or deleted like normal text or shapes.

Select surrounding text

Highlight the paragraph directly above the unwanted horizontal line, as well as the paragraph directly below it.

Open Borders and Shading

Navigate to the top macOS menu bar, click on 'Format', and select 'Borders and Shading' from the drop-down menu.

Remove the border

In the Borders tab, look at the Setting options on the left side and click on 'None'.

Apply changes

Click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog box to apply the changes and remove the horizontal line.

Remove Paragraph Borders Using the Format Menu

Selection Tip: If the line remains after following these steps, the border might be anchored to a paragraph slightly further away. Expand your text selection to include a larger block of surrounding paragraphs and try again.

Solution 2

Clear Borders via the Home Tab Ribbon

A quicker alternative using the main ribbon interface to clear bottom or top paragraph borders.

Efficient Document Formatting

Easily Manage Document Formatting with WPS Office

If you frequently struggle with unexpected formatting like unselectable lines, WPS Writer provides an intuitive word processing environment with straightforward tools to clear stubborn paragraph borders instantly.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing the unwanted horizontal lines.
2. Select the text: Highlight the paragraphs immediately above and below the line.
3. Access paragraph tools: Navigate to the 'Home' tab and find the 'Borders' icon in the main toolbar.
4. Remove the line: Click the drop-down menu next to the Borders icon and choose 'No Border' to instantly clear the line.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx) formatsFamiliar ribbon interface makes finding formatting tools incredibly easyLightweight application that runs smoothly and quickly on Mac OSFree to download and use for your daily document needs

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do these horizontal lines appear automatically in my document?

Typing three consecutive characters like dashes (---), underscores (___), or equal signs (===) and pressing Enter triggers the AutoFormat feature. The word processor automatically replaces those characters with a full-width paragraph border that looks like a horizontal line.

Can I turn off the automatic horizontal line feature?

Yes. You can disable this by going to Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoFormat As You Type, and unchecking the 'Border lines' option under the 'Apply as you type' section.

What if the line is actually a drawn shape and not a paragraph border?

If the line is a drawn shape, you will be able to click directly on it. Once clicked, small selection handles (circles or squares) will appear at the ends of the line. You can then simply press the Delete key on your keyboard to remove it.

Does the 'Clear All Formatting' button remove these lines?

Yes, selecting the surrounding text and clicking the 'Clear All Formatting' button (the 'A' with a pink eraser icon on the Home tab) will reset the paragraph styling and remove the border. Keep in mind this will also strip out other formatting like bold, italics, or custom fonts.

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