diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-03-01-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-03-01-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..82dea08422d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/2019-03-01-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Deprecations
+````````````
+
+The ``text.TextWithDash`` class and the ``withdash`` keyword argument to
+``text()`` is deprecated.  Consider using ``annotate()`` instead.
diff --git a/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/dashpointlabel.py b/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/dashpointlabel.py
index b795c70e6414..96a8b7564613 100644
--- a/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/dashpointlabel.py
+++ b/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/dashpointlabel.py
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 ===============
 
 """
+
+import warnings
+
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
+warnings.simplefilter("ignore")  # Ignore deprecation of withdash.
+
 DATA = ((1, 3),
         (2, 4),
         (3, 1),
@@ -36,5 +41,6 @@
 
 ax.set_xlim((0, 5))
 ax.set_ylim((0, 5))
+ax.set(title="NOTE: The withdash parameter is deprecated.")
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index c074ffc43e05..cc38ee8a7cb9 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ def secondary_yaxis(self, location, *, functions=None, **kwargs):
             raise ValueError('secondary_yaxis location must be either '
                              'a float or "left"/"right"')
 
+    @cbook._delete_parameter("3.1", "withdash")
     def text(self, x, y, s, fontdict=None, withdash=False, **kwargs):
         """
         Add text to the axes.
@@ -748,7 +749,8 @@ def text(self, x, y, s, fontdict=None, withdash=False, **kwargs):
         # the withdash kwarg and simply delegate whether there's
         # a dash to TextWithDash and dashlength.
 
-        if withdash:
+        if (withdash
+                and withdash is not cbook.deprecation._deprecated_parameter):
             t = mtext.TextWithDash(x, y, text=s)
         else:
             t = mtext.Text(x, y, text=s)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index 6919dbf1c4f5..653455b0b6dd 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -1804,6 +1804,7 @@ def legend(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.stale = True
         return l
 
+    @cbook._delete_parameter("3.1", "withdash")
     @docstring.dedent_interpd
     def text(self, x, y, s, fontdict=None, withdash=False, **kwargs):
         """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
index ecf84248c1da..9f7b640e62ca 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -2936,7 +2936,9 @@ def table(
 
 # Autogenerated by boilerplate.py.  Do not edit as changes will be lost.
 @docstring.copy(Axes.text)
-def text(x, y, s, fontdict=None, withdash=False, **kwargs):
+def text(
+        x, y, s, fontdict=None,
+        withdash=cbook.deprecation._deprecated_parameter, **kwargs):
     return gca().text(x, y, s, fontdict=fontdict, withdash=withdash, **kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/text.py b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
index 3ceffaf3777a..81222d0b42d9 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/text.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
@@ -1245,6 +1245,7 @@ def set_fontname(self, fontname):
 docstring.dedent_interpd(Text.__init__)
 
 
+@cbook.deprecated("3.1", alternative="Annotation")
 class TextWithDash(Text):
     """
     This is basically a :class:`~matplotlib.text.Text` with a dash