The fastest way to apply strikethrough in Excel is the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + 5 on Windows or Command + Shift + X on Mac. Select any cell or range, press the shortcut, and the line appears instantly through your text or numbers. Press it again to remove it. That one shortcut covers most everyday use cases — but Excel gives you several other methods depending on whether you need to strike partial text inside a cell, automate strikethrough based on a status column, or apply it in bulk across a large dataset.
This guide covers every reliable method: keyboard shortcuts, the Format Cells dialog, the Quick Access Toolbar, conditional formatting with checkboxes, and VBA automation. Whether you are building a task tracker, cleaning up a spreadsheet before sharing, or marking completed rows during a reconciliation workflow, one of these approaches will fit exactly what you need.
What Strikethrough Does in Excel
Strikethrough draws a horizontal line through the middle of a cell’s content — text, numbers, dates, or any other value. It is a visual formatting tool only. The underlying value of the cell does not change. Formulas that reference a cell with strikethrough formatting still read and calculate the original value exactly as they would without the formatting.
This makes strikethrough ideal for non-destructive workflows where you want to visually mark something as completed, obsolete, or removed without actually deleting the data. In task lists, you cross out finished items while keeping them visible for reference. In financial spreadsheets, you strike through reconciled entries while leaving the amounts intact so totals and formulas stay accurate. In editorial or review workflows, you mark deleted text inline without losing the original sentence.
One important note: strikethrough does not filter natively. If you need to filter out struck rows for export or reporting, you will need a helper column with a status value. The formatting alone cannot be used as a filter criterion.
Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest)
The keyboard shortcut is the quickest way to toggle strikethrough in Excel:
Windows: Ctrl + 5 — use the number 5 along the top row of your keyboard, not the numpad. The numpad 5 does not trigger this shortcut.
Mac: Command + Shift + X
To apply it, select the cell or range you want to format and press the shortcut. The strikethrough appears immediately. To remove it, select the same cells and press the shortcut again — it toggles off. This works for single cells, multiple selected cells, and non-contiguous selections using Ctrl+click on Windows or Command+click on Mac.
If the shortcut does not work, check whether the workbook is protected, whether another application is intercepting the key combination, or whether you are working in a remote desktop environment where host applications capture keyboard input. In those cases, use the ribbon method below instead.
Method 2: Format Cells Dialog
The Format Cells dialog gives you explicit control over strikethrough and is available on all versions of Excel including older ones where keyboard shortcuts may behave differently.
Select the cell or range. Then open the Format Cells dialog using one of these methods: right-click the selection and choose Format Cells, or press Ctrl + 1 on Windows (Command + 1 on Mac). In the dialog, go to the Font tab and look under the Effects section. Check the Strikethrough box and click OK.
You will also see a Double Strikethrough option in this dialog, which draws two lines through the text instead of one. This is only available through the Format Cells dialog — there is no keyboard shortcut for double strikethrough.
The Format Cells dialog is also where you apply strikethrough to part of a cell’s text. Double-click the cell to enter edit mode (or press F2), then select only the specific characters you want to cross out using your mouse or Shift + arrow keys. With those characters selected, open Format Cells via the right-click menu or Ctrl + 1, go to Font, check Strikethrough, and click OK. Only the selected characters receive the formatting — the rest of the cell content is unchanged.
Method 3: Quick Access Toolbar Button
If you apply strikethrough frequently, adding it as a one-click button to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) saves time — especially if you work on systems where keyboard shortcuts behave inconsistently or you prefer mouse-based workflows.
Right-click anywhere on the Excel ribbon and select Customize Quick Access Toolbar. In the dialog that opens, set the dropdown to All Commands. Scroll through the alphabetical list to find Strikethrough, select it, and click Add. Click OK. The strikethrough button now appears in the toolbar at the top of the Excel window. Select any cells and click it to apply or remove strikethrough with one click — it also works for partial text selections when you are in cell edit mode.
This button persists across workbooks and Excel sessions, so you only need to set it up once.
Method 4: Conditional Formatting (Automatic Strikethrough)
Conditional formatting lets Excel apply strikethrough automatically based on the value of another cell — most commonly a checkbox or a status column. This is the best approach for task lists, project trackers, and any spreadsheet where multiple people need to mark items as complete without manually applying formatting.
The setup uses a formula-based conditional formatting rule. Here is a practical example: suppose column A contains task descriptions and column B contains TRUE/FALSE values linked to checkboxes. To automatically strike through each task in column A when its corresponding checkbox is checked, select the range A2:A100 (or however far your task list extends). On the Home tab, go to Conditional Formatting → New Rule → Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
Enter the formula: =($B2=TRUE)
Click Format, go to the Font tab, check Strikethrough, and click OK twice to apply the rule. Now whenever a checkbox in column B is checked, the corresponding task in column A automatically receives strikethrough. When the checkbox is unchecked, the strikethrough disappears. The original text is never modified — only the display formatting changes.
If your status column uses text values like “Done” or “Complete” instead of TRUE/FALSE, adjust the formula accordingly: =($B2=”Done”)
A few important details about conditional formatting strikethrough: you cannot remove it using the Ctrl + 5 shortcut while the condition is active. The conditional rule controls the formatting, so you need to edit or delete the rule to remove it. Also, conditional formatting rules have a precedence order — if multiple rules apply to the same cells, the one highest in the rules list takes priority.
Method 5: VBA for Bulk and Automated Strikethrough
When you need to apply or remove strikethrough across large datasets, or build a repeatable process that runs at the click of a button, VBA gives you full programmatic control through the Font.Strikethrough property.
Apply strikethrough to the active cell:
Sub ApplyStrikethrough()
ActiveCell.Font.Strikethrough = True
End Sub
Toggle strikethrough on the current selection:
Sub ToggleStrikethroughSelection()
Dim c As Range
For Each c In Selection
c.Font.Strikethrough = Not c.Font.Strikethrough
Next c
End Sub
Apply strikethrough to all rows where a status column says “Done”:
Sub StrikeCompletedTasks()
Dim lastRow As Long, i As Long
lastRow = Cells(Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row
For i = 2 To lastRow
If LCase(Trim(Cells(i, "B").Value)) = "done" Then
Cells(i, "A").Font.Strikethrough = True
Else
Cells(i, "A").Font.Strikethrough = False
End If
Next i
End Sub
Remove strikethrough from all cells in a selected range:
Sub RemoveAllStrikethrough()
Dim c As Range
For Each c In Selection
c.Font.Strikethrough = False
Next c
End Sub
To run any of these macros, press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor, insert a new module via Insert → Module, paste the code, and press F5 or close the editor and run it from Developer → Macros. You can also assign a macro to a button on the sheet for one-click access.
One important constraint: if the sheet is protected, VBA macros that write to cell formatting will fail unless you include ActiveSheet.Unprotect before the formatting commands and ActiveSheet.Protect after. Always test macros on a copy of your workbook first before running them on production data.
Strikethrough on Specific Text Inside a Cell
All of the methods above apply strikethrough to the entire content of a cell. If you need to cross out only specific words or characters within a cell while leaving the rest untouched, you need to work at the character level.
Double-click the cell to enter edit mode, or press F2 with the cell selected. Use your mouse to highlight the specific text you want to strike through, or hold Shift and press the arrow keys to select characters. With only those characters highlighted, open the Format Cells dialog (Ctrl + 1 or right-click → Format Cells), go to Font, check Strikethrough, and click OK.
This partial strikethrough is preserved when you save the workbook and is visible to anyone opening the file in desktop Excel. However, there are a few limitations to be aware of. Partial cell formatting is not preserved when you export to CSV or plain text — the text content survives but all formatting is stripped. In Excel for the web, character-level formatting can display inconsistently depending on the browser. If precise partial strikethrough is critical to your workflow, always verify in desktop Excel rather than Excel Online.
If you need to apply partial strikethrough programmatically via VBA in Excel, you can use the Characters object to target specific character positions within a cell:
Sub PartialStrikethrough()
With ActiveCell.Characters(Start:=1, Length:=5).Font
.Strikethrough = True
End With
End Sub
Change the Start and Length values to match the character positions you want to affect.
Strikethrough in Excel for the Web
Excel Online supports strikethrough formatting, but with some differences from the desktop application. The Strikethrough button appears in the Home ribbon Font group when the window is wide enough to display it. If the ribbon is condensed, click the ellipsis (three dots) to reveal additional font options including Strikethrough.
The Ctrl + 5 shortcut works in most modern browsers when using Excel Online, though behavior can vary depending on your operating system and browser settings. Some browsers intercept Ctrl + 5 for their own tab-switching shortcuts — if that happens, use the ribbon button instead.
One significant limitation: the Format Cells dialog is not available in Excel for the web in the same form as desktop Excel. Options like double strikethrough and character-level partial formatting require desktop Excel. Excel Online will preserve partial strikethrough formatting applied in desktop Excel and display it correctly, but you cannot create or edit character-level formatting in the browser.
For consistent results across team members using mixed environments, the safest approach is to do all detailed strikethrough work in desktop Excel and treat Excel Online as a read/review environment for formatted workbooks.
Practical Use Cases
Task and to-do lists: Use checkboxes linked to TRUE/FALSE cells combined with a conditional formatting rule. When a task is checked, strikethrough applies automatically. When unchecked, it disappears. This is the most common and most useful application of strikethrough in Excel — it creates a clear visual indicator of progress while keeping all task text available for reporting or reactivation.
Inventory and cycle counts: During physical inventory audits, use a VBA toggle button to strike through SKUs as they are counted. Add a timestamp column that records when each line was struck to maintain a traceability log without altering the original data or formulas. If you also work with selecting duplicates in Excel, combining that with strikethrough can help flag already-processed entries during cleanup.
Editorial and review workflows: Apply partial-cell strikethrough to words or phrases marked for deletion while keeping the original sentence visible for the reviewer. This is particularly useful when sharing workbooks where tracked changes are not available or not appropriate.
Financial reconciliation: Strike through reconciled statement entries while keeping amounts intact so running totals and formulas remain accurate. Use a separate helper column to track reconciliation status — this separates the visual indicator from any logic that needs to reference the status programmatically.
Project status boards: In multi-row project trackers where each row represents a deliverable or milestone, a conditional formatting rule linked to a status dropdown gives the whole team a clear view of what is complete at a glance. You can also use charts built from Excel data alongside the tracker to visualize completion rates dynamically.
Data cleanup before publishing: Use a VBA macro to strip all strikethrough formatting from a range once the cleanup review is finalized, or to copy only non-struck rows to a new sheet for the exported version.
Removing Strikethrough
Removing strikethrough uses the same methods as applying it — the shortcut and dialog both toggle the formatting off.
Keyboard shortcut: Select the cells with strikethrough and press Ctrl + 5 (Windows) or Command + Shift + X (Mac). The formatting is removed instantly.
Format Cells dialog: Select the cells, open Format Cells (Ctrl + 1), go to Font, and uncheck the Strikethrough box.
Clear All Formatting: On the Home tab, go to the Editing group, click the dropdown arrow next to the eraser icon (Clear), and choose Clear Formats. This removes strikethrough along with all other formatting from the selected cells — use with caution if you want to preserve other formatting like bold or color.
Conditional formatting rules: Strikethrough applied through conditional formatting cannot be removed with the keyboard shortcut while the condition is active. Go to Home → Conditional Formatting → Manage Rules, find the rule, and delete or edit it.
VBA bulk removal: If strikethrough was applied via macro or spread across many cells, use a VBA loop that sets .Font.Strikethrough = False for every cell in the range.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Ctrl + 5 or Command + Shift + X does nothing: Check that Excel is the active application and not another window. Verify the workbook is not in protected view or the sheet is not protected. In Excel Online, try a different browser. In remote desktop or virtual environments, the host may intercept the shortcut — use the ribbon method in those cases.
Partial strikethrough not applying correctly: Make sure you are in cell edit mode (double-click or F2) before selecting characters. If you are selecting cells rather than characters, the entire cell content will receive the formatting. Also confirm you are using the Format Cells dialog (Ctrl + 1) or the keyboard shortcut after selecting the characters — the ribbon strikethrough button does not appear in all Excel versions during character-level edit mode.
Conditional formatting rule not applying: Verify the formula uses the correct relative and absolute references. A common mistake is using =$B$2=TRUE (fully absolute) instead of =$B2=TRUE (column absolute, row relative). The fully absolute version applies the rule based on only the B2 cell value for every row in the range. Also check rule precedence — rules higher in the list override those below them. You can also use the Analyze Data feature in Excel to audit patterns in your data if the formatting behavior seems inconsistent.
VBA fails on protected sheets: The macro will throw a runtime error when trying to write to cell formatting on a protected sheet. Add ActiveSheet.Unprotect “your_password” before the formatting code and ActiveSheet.Protect “your_password” after it. Test on an unprotected copy first.
Strikethrough lost on export: CSV and plain text formats do not support formatting of any kind — the text content is exported without strikethrough, bold, color, or any other visual styling. If you need to preserve strikethrough for sharing, export as XLSX or PDF instead. For Microsoft Office workflows where you copy content between Excel and Word, character-level strikethrough generally pastes correctly when using Paste Special → Keep Source Formatting.
Formatting inconsistencies between desktop and web: Prefer desktop Excel for applying and editing strikethrough, especially partial cell formatting. Excel Online preserves the display but has limited editing capabilities for character-level formatting. If stakeholders use mixed environments, test how the workbook looks in both before distributing.
Best Practices
Use conditional formatting or status columns rather than manual direct formatting when multiple people work on the same workbook. Direct formatting gets overwritten accidentally; a conditional rule applies automatically based on data and is harder to break by mistake.
Document what strikethrough means in your workbook. Add a legend tab or a header note in the sheet explaining whether struck rows are completed, obsolete, deleted from reporting, or flagged for review. This prevents confusion when someone else opens the file months later.
Keep strikethrough as a visual indicator only — never rely on it for calculations or filtering. Always use a companion status column for any logic that needs to reference completion state programmatically.
Back up workbooks before running bulk macros. A VBA loop that applies or removes strikethrough across thousands of cells cannot be undone with Ctrl + Z once the macro completes. Save a copy first.
For team spreadsheets, standardize on one method — either checkbox + conditional formatting or a macro button — so everyone uses the same approach. Mixed methods (some cells manually struck, others via conditional rules) make the workbook harder to audit and maintain. If you are working with complex data analysis beyond formatting, the Analyze Data feature in Excel can help surface patterns across your dataset alongside any visual status markers you have applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the keyboard shortcut for strikethrough in Excel on Windows? The shortcut is Ctrl + 5. Select the cells you want to format and press it to apply strikethrough. Press it again on the same cells to remove it. Use the number 5 on the top row of your keyboard — the numpad 5 does not work for this shortcut.
What is the strikethrough shortcut on Mac Excel? On Mac, the shortcut is Command + Shift + X. This toggles strikethrough on and off for the selected cell or range.
Can I strikethrough only part of the text in a cell? Yes. Double-click the cell or press F2 to enter edit mode, select the specific characters you want to cross out, then press Ctrl + 1 (or Command + 1 on Mac) to open Format Cells. Go to Font, check Strikethrough, and click OK. Only the selected characters are affected.
Does strikethrough affect formulas or cell values? No. Strikethrough is purely visual. The underlying value in the cell does not change, and any formulas that reference the cell continue to work exactly the same way. It is a display formatting feature only.
How do I automatically strikethrough completed tasks in Excel? Use conditional formatting with a formula-based rule. Select the range containing your task text, create a new conditional formatting rule using a formula like =($B2=TRUE) (where column B contains your checkbox or status values), set the format to strikethrough, and apply. Each row automatically receives strikethrough when its status cell matches the condition.
How do I remove strikethrough from all cells in a range at once? Select all the cells, then press Ctrl + 5 on Windows (Command + Shift + X on Mac) to toggle strikethrough off. Alternatively, open Format Cells (Ctrl + 1), go to Font, and uncheck Strikethrough. For strikethrough applied via conditional formatting, edit or delete the rule instead — the keyboard shortcut will not override an active conditional formatting rule.
Does strikethrough work in Excel for the web? Yes, but with limitations. The Strikethrough button is available in the Home ribbon Font group in Excel Online. The Ctrl + 5 shortcut also works in most browsers. However, character-level partial strikethrough and double strikethrough require desktop Excel. Excel Online will display partial strikethrough created in desktop Excel, but you cannot create or edit it in the browser.
Can I use VBA to apply strikethrough automatically? Yes. Set cell.Font.Strikethrough = True for any cell or range. You can loop through a dataset and apply strikethrough based on the value of a status column, assign the macro to a button, or trigger it from a worksheet event. This is the most scalable approach for large workbooks where manual formatting is impractical.
