To clarify, uncheck the checkbox to prevent Word from automatically updating globally. (Stefan, correct me if I'm wrong.) However, as a convenience, you don't need to uncheck the box if, after you apply the change, you press Ctrl-Z to undo. This is because when you apply the change, Word performs a two-step process that looks like it's a single process: 1) it applies the change to the individual paragraph and then 2) it applies the change globally. When you undo, you're undoing the global change. I just read this on a forum, but I can't find it now :-)