Clearing cells in a Word table means emptying their contents while keeping the table, its rows and columns, and its formatting. It’s handy when you want to reuse a table as a blank template, like a schedule, invoice, or sign-up sheet. The trick is using the right key: Delete empties the cells, while Backspace can remove the cells themselves. This guide shows how to clear one cell, a range, or a whole table, and how to clear formatting like shading too.
Quick answer
Select the cells you want to empty and press Delete. The text disappears, but the cells stay in place.
Clear selected cells
- Click in the first cell and drag across the cells you want to clear. To select a whole row, click just to the left of it. To select a column, hover above it until the pointer becomes a small black arrow, then click.
- Press Delete.
All text, numbers, and images in those cells are removed. The cell borders, widths, and shading stay the same.
Clear the whole table
- Click anywhere inside the table.
- Click the small four-arrow handle at the table’s top-left corner to select the whole table. Or go to Table Layout > Select > Select Table.
- Press Delete.
Every cell is now empty, and the table is ready to fill in again.
Delete vs. Backspace
- Delete: Empties the selected cells. The table structure stays the same.
- Backspace: With whole rows, columns, or the table selected, removes them entirely. With some cells selected, Word opens a Delete Cells box asking how to shift the remaining cells.
If you pressed Backspace by mistake, press Ctrl + Z to undo it.
Keep the header row
To clear a table but keep its column headings, select from the first cell of the second row to the last cell of the table, then press Delete. Holding Shift and clicking the last cell is the quickest way to select a large range.
Clear formatting as well
- Text formatting: Select the cells and press Ctrl + Space to remove character formatting, or click Clear All Formatting (the A with an eraser) on the Home tab.
- Shading: Select the cells, go to Table Design, click the arrow next to Shading, and choose No Color.
- Borders: Use Table Design > Borders to change or remove lines.
Clear only certain content
To remove specific text from many cells, such as all the dates in a column, use Find and Replace (Ctrl + H). Select the column first, enter the text to find, leave Replace with empty, and click Replace All. Word asks whether to continue to the rest of the document; choose No to stay within your selection.
Tips
- Save a blank copy of a table you reuse often as a template. See saving a Word document as a template.
- To remove rows you no longer need, see editing a table in Word.
Word for Mac and Word on the web
The same keys work. On a Mac keyboard without a separate Delete key, press fn + Delete to clear selected cells, because the regular Delete key acts like Backspace. In Word on the web, select the cells and press Delete, or right-click and use the table options to remove rows if that’s what you want.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my table rows disappear?
You probably pressed Backspace with whole rows selected. Press Ctrl + Z to bring them back, then use Delete instead.
Can I clear a table but keep formulas?
Word tables can hold simple formula fields. Clearing a cell removes the field too, so note any formulas before clearing, or clear only the input cells and press F9 to update results.
Summary
- Select the cells or the whole table.
- Press Delete to clear contents.
- Avoid Backspace unless you want to remove cells.
- Use Clear All Formatting or Shading > No Color to reset the look.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.