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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> tech-vi@groups.io <tech-vi@groups.io> <b>On Behalf Of </b>David Goldfield via groups.io<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, January 31, 2025 9:00 AM<br><b>To:</b> tv <tech-vi@groups.io><br><b>Subject:</b> [Tech-VI] Microsoft just killed the ability to look up words and phrases in Word<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p>PCWorld - Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 12:03<span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span>PM<o:p></o:p></p><h1>Microsoft just killed the ability to look up words and phrases in Word<o:p></o:p></h1><div><p class=MsoNormal>In a move to push users toward Copilot AI, Microsoft has deprecated this popular feature. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><img width=1024 height=576 style='width:10.6666in;height:6.0in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://www.pcworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Microsoft-Word.png?w=1024" alt="Microsoft Word Laptop Screen"><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=credit>Image: monticello / Shutterstock.com</span> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div id="link_wrapped_content"><p>Since 2016, Microsoft Word users have had access to Smart Lookup, a nifty feature that lets you right-click on a word or phrase and bring up definitions, synonyms, and relevant links to sites like Wikipedia.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Now, however, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=111346X1569483&xs=1&url=https:/www.windowslatest.com/2025/01/25/mmicrosoft-word-removes-smart-lookup-thesaurus-in-favour-of-copilot-on-windows-11/&xcust=2-1-2590701-1-0-0-0-0&sref=https:/www.pcworld.com/article/2590701/microsoft-just-killed-the-ability-to-look-up-words-and-phrases-in-word.html" target="_blank">Windows Latest</a> reports that Microsoft has decided to retire the Smart Lookup feature. If you check out the <a href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=111346X1569483&xs=1&url=https:/support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/get-insights-into-what-you-re-working-on-with-smart-lookup-debf2083-5ac0-4739-8667-ae2467bec044&xcust=2-1-2590701-1-0-0-0-0&sref=https:/www.pcworld.com/article/2590701/microsoft-just-killed-the-ability-to-look-up-words-and-phrases-in-word.html" target="_blank">Smart Lookup support page</a>, Microsoft has added a notice at the top:<o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p>“<strong><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Important:</span></strong> Smart Lookup will be retired starting on January 1, 2025.”<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><p>As of this writing, if you right-click on a word or phrase and select <strong><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>Search “[word/phrase]”</span></strong> in the context menu, it’ll open up the Search pane like usual, but you won’t get any search results. It’ll get stuck loading before eventually saying: “Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again.”<o:p></o:p></p><p>Smart Lookup was long powered by Microsoft’s search engine, Bing, and it actually worked quite well. So why remove it? The only reasonable answer is that Microsoft wants to push users toward Copilot. If you want to look up stuff — not just definitions and synonyms but <em><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>anything else</span></em> — then you’ll have to start relying on Copilot.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Not only has Smart Lookup been removed from Microsoft Word, but it’s also been removed <a href="https://www.pcworld.com/article/2570624/buy-microsoft-office-2024-or-subscribe-to-the-microsoft-365-apps.html">from the standalone Office 2024 suite</a>… an unusual move because Copilot can’t be used there at all.<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=langtanslateitalicise>This article originally appeared on our sister publication <a href="https://www.pcforalla.se" target="_blank">PC för Alla</a> and was translated and localized from Swedish.<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><p><a href="https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590701/microsoft-just-killed-the-ability-to-look-up-words-and-phrases-in-word.html">https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590701/microsoft-just-killed-the-ability-to-look-up-words-and-phrases-in-word.html</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>David Goldfield,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Blindness Assistive Technology Specialist<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you need help using your assistive technology learn about my training services by visiting<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.screenreadertraining.com/">WWW.ScreenReaderTraining.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Am Yisrael Chai<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Nation of Israel Lives!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="https://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/Certification/">JAWS Certified, 2022</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="https://certification.nvaccess.org/">NVDA Certified Expert</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Subscribe to the Tech-VI announcement list to receive news, events and information regarding the blindness assistive technology field.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Email: <a href="mailto:tech-vi+subscribe@groups.io">tech-vi+subscribe@groups.io</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.davidgoldfield.com/">www.DavidGoldfield.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'>_._,_._,_<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal>Groups.io Links:<o:p></o:p></p><p>You receive all messages sent to this group. <o:p></o:p></p><p><a href="https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/message/8557" target="_blank">View/Reply Online (#8557)</a> | <a href="mailto:tech-vi@groups.io?subject=Re:%20%5BTech-VI%5D%20Microsoft%20just%20killed%20the%20ability%20to%20look%20up%20words%20and%20phrases%20in%20Word" target="_blank">Reply to Group</a> | <a href="mailto:david.goldfield@outlook.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BTech-VI%5D%20Microsoft%20just%20killed%20the%20ability%20to%20look%20up%20words%20and%20phrases%20in%20Word" target="_blank">Reply to Sender</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/mt/110915655/17455" target="_blank">Mute This Topic</a> <br><a href="https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/editsub/17455">Your Subscription</a> | <a href="mailto:tech-vi+owner@groups.io">Contact Group Owner</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/leave/8954496/17455/1106850279/xyzzy">Unsubscribe</a> [terrypowers59@gmail.com]<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'>_._,_._,_<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>