Control F search keeps words highlighted and blocks view

Kenny Kusnadi 0 Reputation points
2026-10-06T04:14:33.04+00:00

Using control F to find a word, I was able to find the word needed, but as I go through the finds of the words, the previous words would not disappear and stack (see screenshot). They cannot be removed when I exited control find. Only can be removed when restarting word. It's become very annoying. Please help Screenshot 2026-10-06 at 12.09.31 AM

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | Other | MacOS
0 comments

3 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-10-06T04:14:46.79+00:00

    If the highlights remain stacked after closing Find, try these supported actions:

    1. Open Find again with Ctrl+F.
    2. In the Search in document box, select the X at the end of the box to clear the current search.
    3. If the magnifying glass is missing, select the X again to restore it.
    4. Close the Navigation pane search when finished.

    If the issue is that the Find or Replace window is still open but not visible, use Task View, right-click the hidden dialog, select Close, and then press Ctrl+H again so the dialog reopens on top of Word.

    Also note:

    • Ctrl+F opens the Navigation pane for finding text.
    • Ctrl+H opens Find and Replace.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

  2. Francisco Montilla 31,170 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-06T06:01:21.33+00:00

    Hello,

    I noticed from your screenshot that there is a yellow Office Update banner right above your document.

    Visual ghosting where your search highlights stack up or stay glued to the screen is usually just a graphics rendering bug happening between an outdated version of Word and macOS. Simply click the Check for Updates button on the right side of that yellow bar, let the patches install, and restart your Mac. That almost always takes care of screen glitches like this.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 437.9K Reputation points
    2026-10-06T17:34:07.39+00:00

    This also can be attributed to Zotero. Confirm that it is updated as well. If the problem continues after updating Office & macOS try removing Zotero to see whether that resolves the behavior.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.