Strikethrough in Excel — here’s every method on every platform
Crossing out text in Excel — applying the strikethrough format that draws a line through the middle of cell content — is useful for marking completed tasks, indicating removed items, showing price changes, or any situation where you want to show that content is no longer current without deleting it.
Excel calls this strikethrough, and there are several ways to apply it depending on how often you use it and which version of Excel you’re running.
The Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest Method)
The quickest way to apply strikethrough in Excel is a keyboard shortcut.
Select the cell or cells you want to cross out. Press Ctrl + 5.
That’s it. The text in the selected cells gets a line through it. Press Ctrl + 5 again to remove it. The shortcut toggles strikethrough on and off.
This works on Windows in all modern Excel versions — Excel 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365. It’s the method worth memorizing if you apply strikethrough with any regularity.
On Mac, the equivalent is Cmd + Shift + X in some versions, or use the Format Cells method below if the shortcut doesn’t work on your specific setup.
Through the Format Cells Dialog
The Format Cells dialog gives you access to strikethrough alongside every other text formatting option.
Select the cells you want to format. Press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog (Cmd + 1 on Mac). Go to the Font tab. Under Effects, check the Strikethrough checkbox. Click OK.
This method is more steps than the keyboard shortcut but is useful when you’re already in the Format Cells dialog adjusting other formatting — font, size, color — and want to add strikethrough at the same time.
Through the Home Tab Ribbon
Excel doesn’t show a strikethrough button in the main ribbon by default, but you can add one or access it through the font settings.
Click the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the Font group on the Home tab — this opens the Format Cells dialog directly to the Font tab, the same as Ctrl + 1. Check Strikethrough and click OK.
Add a Strikethrough Button to the Quick Access Toolbar
If you use strikethrough frequently, adding a dedicated button to Excel’s Quick Access Toolbar gives you one-click access without remembering the shortcut.
Click the small dropdown arrow at the top of the Excel window next to the Quick Access Toolbar (the row of small icons at the very top). Select More Commands. In the Choose Commands From dropdown, select All Commands. Scroll down and find Strikethrough in the alphabetical list. Click Add to move it to the toolbar. Click OK.
A strikethrough button now appears in your Quick Access Toolbar. Click it to apply or remove strikethrough on selected cells with a single click.
Apply Strikethrough to Part of a Cell
Strikethrough doesn’t have to apply to the entire cell — you can cross out specific characters within a cell while leaving others normal.
Double-click the cell to enter edit mode. Select only the specific text within the cell that you want crossed out — click and drag to highlight it. Press Ctrl + 1 to open Format Cells. Check Strikethrough and click OK.
Only the selected text within the cell gets the strikethrough formatting. The rest of the cell content remains unchanged. This works for text cells — it doesn’t apply to cells containing only numbers used in calculations.
Conditional Strikethrough Using Conditional Formatting
For task lists and dynamic spreadsheets, you can set up strikethrough to apply automatically based on a cell’s value — automatically crossing out completed tasks when you mark them done.
For example, if column A contains task names and column B contains checkboxes or completion status:
Select the task name cells in column A. Go to Home → Conditional Formatting → New Rule. Select Use a Formula to Determine Which Cells to Format. Enter a formula like =$B1=TRUE (if column B has checkboxes) or =$B1=”Done” (if column B has text status). Click Format, go to the Font tab, check Strikethrough, and click OK twice.
Now when you check the checkbox or type “Done” in column B, the corresponding task name in column A automatically gets crossed out. This is particularly useful for to-do lists and project trackers.
Remove Strikethrough
Removing strikethrough uses the same methods as applying it.
Select the cells with strikethrough. Press Ctrl + 5 to toggle it off. Or press Ctrl + 1, uncheck the Strikethrough box, and click OK.
To remove all formatting including strikethrough from a cell, go to Home → Clear → Clear Formats. This removes strikethrough along with all other formatting — font, color, borders — returning the cell to default formatting.
Strikethrough on iPhone and iPad (Excel Mobile)
The Excel mobile app handles strikethrough through the formatting menu.
Select the cell or cells. Tap the format icon (the A with lines, or the paint bucket depending on your version) in the toolbar. Look for Strikethrough in the font formatting options and tap it to toggle it on or off.
Strikethrough on Android
Same approach as iPhone — select the cell, tap the formatting icon in the toolbar, and find Strikethrough in the font options.
Strikethrough in Google Sheets
Since many people use Google Sheets alongside Excel, worth noting that strikethrough in Sheets uses a different shortcut:
Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on Mac toggles strikethrough in Google Sheets. It’s also accessible through Format → Text → Strikethrough.
A Quick Reference
| Method | Steps |
|---|---|
| Keyboard shortcut (Windows) | Select cells → Ctrl + 5 |
| Keyboard shortcut (Mac) | Select cells → Cmd + Shift + X |
| Format Cells dialog | Select cells → Ctrl + 1 → Font tab → Strikethrough |
| Quick Access Toolbar | Add button via More Commands → click button |
| Partial cell strikethrough | Double-click cell → select text → Ctrl + 1 → Strikethrough |
| Conditional strikethrough | Conditional Formatting → formula-based rule |
| Remove strikethrough | Select cells → Ctrl + 5 (toggle off) |
| Google Sheets | Select cells → Alt + Shift + 5 |
The Bottom Line
Ctrl + 5 is the strikethrough shortcut to remember in Excel — it toggles the format on and off instantly on any selected cells without opening any dialogs. For partial cell strikethrough or when combining it with other formatting changes, the Format Cells dialog via Ctrl + 1 gives complete control.
For spreadsheets that track tasks or project status, the conditional formatting approach is worth setting up once — automatic strikethrough based on completion status is more reliable than manually formatting cells and produces a cleaner, more dynamic spreadsheet.
Ctrl + 5 crosses it out. Ctrl + 5 again brings it back. Everything else in this article is just a longer way to do the same thing.
Meet Ry, “TechGuru,” a 36-year-old technology enthusiast with a deep passion for tech innovations. With extensive experience, he specializes in gaming hardware and software, and has expertise in gadgets, custom PCs, and audio.
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