Delete a single comment by right-clicking it

The fastest way to remove one comment is to right-click it directly in the document. Word shows comments in a sidebar on the right side of the page, or as colored bubbles in the text itself depending on your view. Find the comment you want to remove, right-click anywhere on that comment box or bubble, and select Delete Comment from the menu that appears.

The comment vanishes when ready. If you accidentally delete the wrong one, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo. This method works the same way whether you are the document owner or a reviewer who added the comment yourself.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any comment in the sidebar or in the text and select Delete Comment to remove it in one step.
  • Use the Review tab to see all comments at once, then click the dropdown arrow next to a comment to delete it without right-clicking.
  • Delete all comments at once by opening the Review tab, clicking the dropdown next to Delete, and choosing Delete All Comments in Document.
  • Deleting a comment does not change the text of the document itself — only the feedback attached to it disappears.
  • If you do not have permission to edit the document, you cannot delete comments even if you wrote them.

Use the Review tab to delete comments one at a time

If right-clicking does not work for you, or if you prefer using the menu, open the Review tab at the top of Word. You will see a section labeled Comments with buttons for navigating and managing feedback. Click on any comment in the sidebar to select it, then click the small dropdown arrow next to the Delete button (it looks like a trash can with a small arrow beside it).

A menu appears with the option Delete. Click it to remove that single comment. You can move through the document one comment at a time using the Previous and Next buttons in the same Comments section, deleting as you go.

Remove all comments from the document at once

If the document has many comments and you want to clear them all, use the Review tab again. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Delete button and select Delete All Comments in Document. Word will remove every comment from the entire document in a single action.

This is permanent and affects the whole file, not just the current page. Use this only when you are certain you no longer need any of the feedback. If you change your mind when ready, press Ctrl+Z to undo and restore all comments at once.

Understand what happens when you delete a comment

Deleting a comment removes only the feedback bubble or sidebar note — it does not change any of the actual text in your document. If a comment said "This paragraph is unclear," deleting that comment leaves the paragraph exactly as it was. The comment itself straightforward disappears.

If you are working with tracked changes alongside comments, deleting a comment does not affect any insertions or deletions you have marked. Comments and tracked changes are separate systems in Word. You can remove all comments while keeping all your tracked changes, or vice versa.

Why you might not be able to delete a comment

If the delete option is grayed out or does not appear, the document is likely in read-only mode or protected by the owner. Word prevents changes to documents that are locked for editing. Check the top of the window for a message saying the document is read-only, or ask the document owner to give you editing permission.

Some organizations also restrict who can delete comments based on document protection settings. If you wrote the comment yourself but still cannot delete it, the document owner has set permissions that prevent removal. You can ask them to unlock the document or delete the comment on your behalf.

Switch your view if comments are hard to see

Word offers different ways to display comments, and some views make them easier to find and delete. If you cannot see the comment sidebar, go to the Review tab and look for the Comments section. Click Show Comments or the display icon (it looks like a speech bubble) to toggle the sidebar on.

You can also change how comments appear by clicking the icon that looks like a page with a sidebar. This cycles through different layouts: comments in a sidebar, comments as bubbles in the margin, or comments hidden entirely. Find the view that makes it easiest for you to locate and delete the comments you need to remove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete only my own comments and not comments from other people?

Word does not have a built-in filter to delete only your comments. You can delete them one at a time by right-clicking each one, or you can delete all comments at once. If you need to remove only specific comments, go through them individually using the Review tab and the Previous and Next buttons.

What if I delete a comment by mistake?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) when ready to undo the deletion. This restores the comment. If you have made other changes since the deletion, undo will reverse those changes too, so use it right away if possible.

Does deleting a comment notify the person who wrote it?

No. Word does not send notifications when comments are deleted. The person who wrote the comment will not know it was removed unless they open the document and see it is gone. If you are removing feedback from a colleague, consider letting them know separately.

Can I delete comments from a Word document on my phone or tablet?

Word for mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android) has limited comment management. You can view comments but may not be able to delete them through the app. Open the document on a computer using the full version of Word to delete comments reliably.