Cut, copy, and paste are perhaps the three most used commands in Microsoft Word, and for good reason. Here are the differences between copy, cut, and paste, and how to use them in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word 2013.

There are several ways to use the Cut and Copy commands, and they are universal to all versions of Microsoft Word. First, use the mouse to highlight the text, picture, table, or other item that you want to cut or copy. Then use one of the following commands:

There are several ways to use the Paste command that are universal to all versions of Microsoft Word. First, use the Cut or Copy command to save an item to the Clipboard. Then, do one of the following to paste it:

You cannot use the Paste command as described in the previous section if you want to paste something other than the last item copied. To access items older than that, open the Clipboard.