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How to Find Synonyms and Copy Formatting in the Editor

Two quick editing tools, asking Robin for synonyms and the Format Painter, help you refine word choice and keep your formatting consistent without interrupting your writing flow.

Synonyms Lookup​

Write does not have a synonyms menu. To find alternatives for a word, ask Robin in the chat, for example: "Give me 5 alternatives for the word 'walked' that fit this paragraph." Robin reads the passage around the word, so the suggestions fit your context. You then change the word yourself.

This works for books in any language.

When to Use It​

  • When a word feels repetitive and you want a fresh alternative
  • When you need a more precise or evocative term
  • When Robin suggested a word you're not sure about and you want options

Format Painter​

The Format Painter copies text formatting from one selection and applies it to another. Use it to keep heading styles, bold passages, or special emphasis consistent across your manuscript.

The Format Painter is part of the full toolbar. If you don't see it, open the View menu and turn on Show full ribbon.

How to Use It​

  1. Select the text whose formatting you want to copy (e.g., a bold italic heading).
  2. Click the Format Painter button in the Write toolbar (it looks like a paintbrush icon).
  3. A Format Painter armed. note appears under the toolbar.
  4. Select the target text, the text you want to apply the same formatting to.
  5. The formatting is applied. Painting mode turns off automatically.

To paint several passages in a row, double-click the Format Painter button instead. The note reads Format Painter locked. and stays on until you cancel it.

What Format Painter Copies​

Format Painter always copies character-level formatting:

  • Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough
  • Font family and font size
  • Text color and highlight color
  • Links

When the text you paint covers whole paragraphs, it also copies paragraph formatting: heading level, bullet or numbered list, alignment, line spacing, and paragraph spacing. If you paint only part of a paragraph, the paragraph formatting stays as it was.

Canceling Paint Mode​

If you activate Format Painter and change your mind, click the Format Painter button again, or click the X on the note under the toolbar, to cancel without applying any changes.

See also: Editing with Robin | Formatting | Proofreading