How to Fix Plagiarism Flagged in a Turnitin Report
You cannot remove anything from a Turnitin report itself. The report reflects the file that was checked, and editing a report would be falsifying it. What you can do is fix the passages Turnitin flagged, then check the revised paper. Here is how to do that properly.
Step 1: Check the filters first
Before rewriting anything, look at "Filtered from the Report". If your bibliography and quotations are not excluded, part of your score is text that is not a problem at all. Only your instructor can change filters on a course report, but knowing this tells you how much of the score is real.
Step 2: Fix "Not Cited or Quoted" matches
These are the matches that look like plagiarism. For each one, choose:
- Quote and cite if the exact wording matters.
- Paraphrase properly and cite if the idea matters more than the wording.
- Delete if the passage adds nothing.
Step 3: Rewrite "Missing Quotations" passages
These are close paraphrases: the source sentence with a few words swapped. Turnitin still matches them. A real paraphrase changes the structure, not just the vocabulary:
- Read the source passage, then close it.
- Write the point from memory in your own sentence structure.
- Add your own interpretation or link to your argument.
- Cite the source.
Step 4: Add citations to "Missing Citation" quotes
Quotation marks without a reference still count. Add the in-text citation and the reference list entry.
Step 5: Cut long quotes
Even correctly cited quotes add to the score. Replace long block quotes with a short quoted phrase plus your own explanation.
What not to do
- Paraphrasing tools and word spinners. They can lower similarity, but they often raise the AI score, and Turnitin specifically detects AI-paraphrased text in English.
- Hidden characters or white text. Turnitin's integrity flags check for these and they look far worse than a high score.
- Editing the report PDF. A report that does not match the submission ID on record is easily exposed.
Step 6: Check the revised paper
Resubmit if your assignment allows it, keeping in mind the 24-hour delay after three resubmissions. Or run a pre-check, which shows both the new similarity score and the AI score, so you know the rewrite did not trade one problem for another.
What a clean report looks like
The similarity sample shows 1% overall, with 2 small uncited matches and 0 integrity flags. Note the AI report for the same paper: 51%. Fixing similarity is only half the job.
Screenshots shown for illustration. Your own reports arrive as full PDFs in your dashboard.
Related: what is a good similarity percentage and how to read a Turnitin report.
AI score too high? Humanize it to 0%
If your Turnitin AI writing report flags your paper, you can rewrite the highlighted sentences yourself, use a humanizer, or let our editors do it by hand. Since August 2025 Turnitin also detects text run through AI humanizer tools, so check which approach still works: best AI humanizer for Turnitin, can Turnitin detect humanizers? and how to get 0% AI on Turnitin.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit a Turnitin report to remove matches?
No. A report reflects the file that was checked. The only legitimate way to change it is to revise your paper and check it again.
Do paraphrasing tools remove Turnitin plagiarism?
They can lower similarity but often raise the AI score, and Turnitin detects AI-paraphrased text in English. Rewrite in your own words instead.
How do I check my revised paper?
Resubmit if your assignment allows it, or run a pre-submission check that does not store your paper.