# Microsoft Word search and replace formatting \_italics\_ question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-search-and-replace-formatting-_italics_-question/749392>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 18, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-search-and-replace-formatting-_italics_-question/749392 "2016-03-18T15:11:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-search-and-replace-formatting-_italics_-question/749392/1 "2016-03-18T15:11:48Z")

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I’ve got an old, OLD document that I want to update.

The problem is that it’s using that old formatting thing where it has this kind of formatting: _italics_ or _bold_

If there’s an easy way to turn _italics_ into _italics_. I can’t figure it out. The best solution I can find gets me something like _italics_ (there’s only a few cases of _bold_ so I don’t care too much about that). I know I can then delete the \_ manually but I’d prefer to avoid that since there’s a ton of legit underscores.

Does anyone have a solution?

Thanks in advance

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**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-search-and-replace-formatting-_italics_-question/749392/2 "2016-03-18T16:38:09Z")

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In the Find and Replace dialog:

- check the box for Use Wildcards.
- search for the string **_(\*)_**.
- in the Replace With field, enter **\1**.
- in the Format menu, choose Font and select Italic.

The \* represents any number of characters in a wildcard search. Putting it in parentheses is kind of like identifying it as a “variable” to Word. The \1 syntax in the Replace box means to replace the string with the first “variable” from the Find text.

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**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-search-and-replace-formatting-_italics_-question/749392/3 "2016-03-18T17:32:59Z")

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Thank you! I’d figured out the first step (about wildcards and the \_ symbol) but couldn’t get further. And I’d have never figured out the \1 part.

You just saved me hours of tedious work. I appreciate the help! 🙂