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Find and Replace in Word – Shortcut Guide for Windows, macOS & Ubuntu

If you work with large documents, mastering Find and Replace in Word is a time-saving skill. This powerful feature helps you quickly locate words, phrases, formatting, or characters and replace them instantly—whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu. With a simple keyboard shortcut, you can eliminate typos, update recurring terms, or format text in bulk, making your editing process faster and more efficient.

🔎 What Is Find and Replace?

Find and Replace allows you to:

  • Search for specific text in a document
  • Replace it with another word or phrase
  • Apply formatting changes (bold, italics, font) to selected words
  • Use advanced options like matching case, wildcards, and special characters

It’s ideal for editing documents such as reports, contracts, essays, and manuals.

🪟 How to Use Find and Replace in Word on Windows

✅ Keyboard Shortcut

  • Ctrl + H → Opens the Find and Replace dialog box
  • Ctrl + F → Opens the Navigation pane for quick search

✅ Steps to Use It

  1. Press Ctrl + H
  2. Enter the word to Find
  3. Enter the replacement word in Replace with
  4. Click Replace or Replace All

💡 Use More >> to access advanced settings like case sensitivity or whole word matching.

🍏 Find and Replace Shortcut in Word on macOS

✅ Keyboard Shortcut

  • Command (⌘) + Shift + H → Opens Find and Replace
  • Command (⌘) + F → Opens search bar (for Find only)

✅ Steps

  1. Press Cmd + Shift + H
  2. Enter the text to find and its replacement
  3. Use Find Next, Replace, or Replace All

📝 You can also use the Edit > Find > Replace… menu option.

🐧 Using Find and Replace in Word on Ubuntu

Ubuntu users typically use LibreOffice Writer or Microsoft Word Online.

✅ LibreOffice Writer Shortcut

  • Ctrl + H → Opens the Find & Replace window

✅ Steps

  1. Open LibreOffice Writer
  2. Press Ctrl + H
  3. Enter search and replacement terms
  4. Use Find, Replace, or Replace All

✅ Advanced features include regular expressions and formatting replacements.

✅ Word Online (Ubuntu)

  1. Click Home > Editing > Replace
  2. Or press Ctrl + H in the browser
  3. Use the sidebar to search and replace text

🧠 Pro Tips for Advanced Find and Replace

  • Match case: Only finds text that matches capitalization
  • Whole word only: Avoids partial matches (e.g., “cat” won’t match “catalog”)
  • Use wildcards: Replace patterns like all numbers, dates, or spacing
  • Find formatting: Click “Format” > choose font, paragraph, or style
  • Undo changes: Press Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z if you replaced too much

🔤 Quick Reference – Find and Replace Shortcuts

PlatformFind ShortcutReplace ShortcutTool Used
WindowsCtrl + FCtrl + HWord Find & Replace
macOSCommand + FCommand + Shift + HWord for Mac Replace
UbuntuCtrl + FCtrl + HLibreOffice / Word Online

✅ Use Cases for Find and Replace

  • Update brand names across an entire document
  • Fix repeated typos (e.g., “teh” → “the”)
  • Convert American English to British (e.g., “color” → “colour”)
  • Replace placeholders in templates (e.g., “[Name]” → “John Doe”)
  • Swap formatting for consistency (e.g., all bolded “Important”)

❓ FAQ – Find and Replace in Word

Can I undo a Replace All?
Yes. Immediately press Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z to undo changes.

Does Find and Replace work across sections and headers?
Yes, if you enable full document scanning in the dialog.

Can I replace formatting like bold or italic?
Absolutely! Use the Format button in the Replace dialog.

Is Find and Replace available in Word Online?
Yes, but with fewer formatting options than desktop Word.

Can I use Find and Replace to remove line breaks or tabs?
Yes. Use special characters like ^p for paragraph marks or ^t for tabs.

✅ Conclusion

Learning how to use Find and Replace in Word is an essential skill for efficient document editing. With just a few keystrokes—Ctrl + H, Cmd + Shift + H, or Ctrl + F—you can make sweeping changes across pages in seconds. Whether you’re on Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu, this tool is your best ally for error correction, formatting consistency, and time-saving edits.

Complete List of Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

If you need help for Windows, you can find a whole list of all keyboard shortcuts here.

https://keyboard-shortcuts.org/

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