Microsoft entirely retired the useful Thesaurus in Word
The solution? Use Copilot.
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Microsoft has decided to retire the useful Thesaurus in Word, a tool that helps users find synonyms for words they don’t know the meaning of.
Users could right-click the word and select Synonyms, and Word would display a series of synonyms that would allow users to understand the context better. However, some users noticed the feature wasn’t working and wondered why.
According to a message on the official support page, Microsoft entirely retired it on January 1, 2025.
Important: Smart Lookup will be retired starting on January 1, 2025.
The solution seems to be Copilot, and Microsoft now expects users to seek help if they want to understand unknown words. The Redmond-based company recently introduced Copilot to all Microsoft 365 users, even changing the monthly subscription fee to accommodate it, whether they liked it or not.
While Copilot can do a good job, the AI model is not as fast as the Thesaurus option, which can be accessed intuitively without disrupting the writing process. However, Microsoft knows better, and the company seeks to encourage users to use AI more.
What’s your take on this? Did you use Thesaurus in Microsoft Word? Are you planning to switch to Copilot?
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