The quickest way to add strikethrough in Excel
Strikethrough is a line drawn through text to show it is no longer active or relevant — useful for marking items as completed, outdated, or rejected without deleting them. In Excel, the fastest method is to select the cells you want to format, then press Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on Mac. The line appears when ready through the middle of your text.
If that keyboard shortcut does not work on your machine, you can use the Format menu instead. Select your cells, go to Format in the menu bar, choose Cells, click the Font tab, and check the box next to Strikethrough. Then click OK. Both methods produce the same result — a permanent line through the text that stays even if you edit the cell later.
Key Takeaways
- Windows users can press Alt + Shift + 5 to add strikethrough; Mac users press Cmd + Shift + X.
- If keyboard shortcuts do not work, open Format > Cells > Font tab and check the Strikethrough box.
- Strikethrough stays in place even when you edit the cell content afterward.
- You can remove strikethrough by selecting the cells and using the same keyboard shortcut or menu path again.
- Strikethrough works on individual cells, ranges, or entire rows and columns at once.
Using the Format menu when shortcuts do not respond
Some keyboards, especially on laptops or in certain regions, do not recognize the standard keyboard shortcuts. The menu method works on any machine. Click on any cell or drag to select multiple cells at once. Then open the Format menu at the top of the screen.
From the dropdown, select Cells — this opens a dialog box with several tabs across the top. Click on the Font tab. In the list of effects, you will see Strikethrough with a checkbox next to it. Click the checkbox to turn it on, then click OK at the bottom of the dialog. The strikethrough appears on all selected cells when ready.
Removing strikethrough from cells
To remove strikethrough, select the cells that have it, then press the same keyboard shortcut again — Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on Mac. The line disappears. If you used the menu method to add it, you can use the menu method to remove it: select the cells, go to Format > Cells > Font, uncheck the Strikethrough box, and click OK.
You can also remove strikethrough from a single cell by clicking inside it to edit, selecting just the text you want to change, and then toggling the strikethrough off. This is useful if you have mixed content in one cell and only want to strike through part of it.
Strikethrough across multiple cells at once
You do not have to format cells one at a time. Select a range by clicking the first cell, holding Shift, and clicking the last cell in the range you want. You can also click and drag across cells to select them. Once the range is highlighted in blue, press your keyboard shortcut or use the Format menu — the strikethrough applies to every cell in the selection at once.
This works for entire rows or columns too. Click the row number on the left side to select a whole row, or click the column letter at the top to select a whole column. Then explore strikethrough the same way. Be careful with this approach on large spreadsheets, since it will affect every cell in that row or column, even empty ones.
When strikethrough is useful in a spreadsheet
Strikethrough is most helpful in task lists, inventory sheets, or any document where you need to show that something is done or no longer valid but you want to keep the record visible. For example, in a to-do list, you can strike through completed tasks instead of deleting them — this preserves your history and shows what you have accomplished. In an inventory sheet, you might strike through items that are discontinued but keep them in the spreadsheet for reference.
Strikethrough also works well alongside other formatting. You can combine it with color, bold text, or italics to make the status of an item even clearer. For instance, you might strike through text and also change its color to gray to show it is inactive. This layered approach makes spreadsheets easier to scan at a glance.
Strikethrough in different versions of Excel
The keyboard shortcuts and menu paths described here work in Excel 2016 and later on both Windows and Mac. If you use an older version of Excel or Excel Online (the web version), the menu path may be slightly different, but the Format > Cells > Font > Strikethrough route works across all versions. In Excel Online, you can also right-click a selected cell and choose Format Cells to reach the same dialog.
Google Sheets, which is not Excel but serves a similar purpose, uses a different method: select cells, go to Format > Text > Strikethrough. If you work across both Excel and Google Sheets, the menu paths differ slightly, but the concept is the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo strikethrough if I applied it by mistake?
Yes. Press Ctrl + Z on Windows or Cmd + Z on Mac when ready after explore strikethrough to undo it. If you applied strikethrough earlier and want to remove it now, select the cells and press the strikethrough shortcut again or use Format > Cells > Font and uncheck the box.
Does strikethrough affect the actual data in the cell?
No. Strikethrough is only formatting — it changes how the text looks on screen and in print, but the underlying data stays the same. If you reference that cell in a formula, the formula still sees the original value, not the strikethrough.
Can I search for cells that have strikethrough?
Excel does not have a built-in search for strikethrough formatting alone. You can use Find & Replace (Ctrl + H on Windows, Cmd + H on Mac) and search by format, but this requires some setup. For most users, it is faster to scan the spreadsheet visually or use a filter if you have organized your data by status.
What if the keyboard shortcut does not work on my computer?
Some keyboards and language settings do not support the standard shortcuts. Use the menu method instead: Format > Cells > Font tab > check Strikethrough > OK. You can also try remapping the shortcut in your Excel settings if you use it frequently.