To keep long text readable in Apple Numbers on a Mac, turn on Wrap Text for the cell or its column, then let the row grow to fit. This displays the full entry on multiple lines inside its own cell, keeping neighboring data visible. If you need a single-line view, widen the column instead; Numbers resizes whole columns, not individual cells.

Wrap long text inside its cell

For one entry, Control-click the cell and choose Wrap Text from the shortcut menu. A checkmark means wrapping is on. For a whole column, click its letter to select it, then use the Format sidebar: choose Text, click Style, and select Wrap text in cell. You can select a row or the whole table and apply the same sidebar setting. Apple’s Numbers guide documents both routes.

Wrapping makes the text continue on additional lines within the cell rather than stretching over neighboring cells. In practical terms, the row becomes taller to show those lines; adjacent entries remain in their own cells and visible. This is usually the best choice for notes, descriptions, addresses, or other longer entries beside data you still need to scan.

Make room for the wrapped lines

If the full entry still appears cut off vertically, adjust the row height. Move the pointer just below the row number until the resize pointer appears, then drag downward. To fit the content automatically, move the pointer to the right of that row number, click the arrow, and choose Fit Height to Content. You can also double-click the boundary below the row number to fit the row. Apple lists these row-sizing options.

For several rows, select their row numbers before dragging a boundary; Numbers resizes the selected rows proportionally. To set a precise height, click a cell in the row, open the Format sidebar’s Table tab, and use Height under Row & Column Size. Row height applies to the entire row, so the change can affect other cells on that line too.

Keep the column compact without hiding the next entry

If wrapping makes the table too tall, widen the text column a little and check whether the entry now takes fewer lines. Drag the boundary to the right of the column letter, or double-click it to fit the column to its contents. Fit Width to Content is also available from the arrow beside the column letter. Remember that making a column wider shifts the columns to its right; Numbers does not provide a separate width for just one cell. Apple’s resizing instructions explain that column width and row height are table-level dimensions.

For a mixed table, a useful arrangement is a moderately narrow, wrapped description column beside narrow number or status columns. Select only the description column before enabling wrapping if other columns should stay single-line. This keeps neighboring values visible while making room vertically only where descriptions need it.

Why text seems to disappear behind another cell

When wrapping is off, long text may appear to run across empty cells. If the next cell contains data, the text can be obscured at the cell boundary. That visual overlap does not mean the text was moved into or merged with another cell. Wrapping confines display to the source cell, so it is the safer choice when adjacent cells are populated.

Avoid merging cells just to display a long entry: merging changes the table structure and combines adjacent cells. If you want the entry on one line, enlarge the whole column and accept the extra width. If you want to preserve a compact grid, enable wrapping and adjust row height. The right choice depends on whether horizontal width or vertical space is more important for this table.

Quick check when an entry still looks incomplete

First select the cell and confirm that Wrap Text is checked. Then widen the column slightly or use Fit Height to Content on its row. Check for an unusually small manually set row height, and confirm that you applied wrapping to the correct cell, row, or column. The text remains in its original cell; these controls change how much of it is visible in the table.

For long descriptions in a Mac Numbers table, wrapping plus a content-fitted row is the direct way to show the full entry without covering adjacent data. Use column resizing when preserving a single line matters more than keeping the table narrow.

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