A blank last page is usually Word's required end paragraph spilling onto a new page. You can't delete that paragraph, but you can shrink it. Blank pages elsewhere come from a page break, a section break or a "Page break before" setting.
Turn on paragraph marks first so you can see what's there: Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows, ⌘+8 on a Mac. Press it again to hide them.
The last page is blank
- Show paragraph marks.
- Select the paragraph mark on the blank page.
- Click in the Font size box, type 01, and press Enter.
- Hide the marks again.
Microsoft calls this the most reliable method. If the paragraph still won't fit, shrink the bottom margin (Layout tab > Margins > Custom Margins), for example to 0.3 inches.
Blank page in the middle, with a page break visible
A manual page break can leave an unwanted blank page. With marks showing, select the break and press Delete.
A paragraph mark with a small square
A square beside the mark usually means the paragraph has "Page break before" turned on. Right-click the empty paragraph, choose Paragraph Settings (Home tab), and on the Lines and Page Breaks tab uncheck Page break before.
A section break
Next Page, Odd Page and Even Page section breaks can each create a blank page; a Continuous break doesn't start a new page.
Deleting a section break in the middle of a document can cause formatting problems. Instead, double-select the break, go to the Layout tab, open the Breaks drop-down, pick Continuous, and select OK. If the break is at the very end of the document, put the cursor directly before it and press Delete.
Microsoft's tip for finding section breaks: switch to Draft view on the View tab.
A page that has content you want gone
Select the content and press Delete. To select a whole page at once: click in it, press Ctrl+G (Option+⌘+G on a Mac), type \page in the Enter page number box, press Enter, select Close, check that the page is selected, then press Delete.
Word for the web
The web version can remove empty paragraphs (select them and delete) and page breaks (click the break, press Delete). Section breaks need the desktop app. Use Open in Word, then follow the steps above.
Sources
- Microsoft Support — Delete a page in Word (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Microsoft Support — Delete a blank page in Word for the web (checked Nov 8, 2026)