You can remove strikethrough in Microsoft Word by selecting the affected text and turning off the Strikethrough formatting command. This changes the formatting without deleting the words.
How to Remove Strikethrough in Word
Step 1: Open the Word document
Open the document that contains the crossed-out text.
Step 2: Select the text
Drag over the text with strikethrough formatting. To change a larger section, select the entire paragraph or range that contains it.
Step 3: Open the Home tab
Select Home on the ribbon.
Step 4: Turn off Strikethrough
In the Font group, select the Strikethrough button. Because the selected text already has that formatting, selecting the button again removes it.
Remove Strikethrough with the Font Dialog Box
If you do not see the command you need on the ribbon, select the small dialog launcher in the Font group. Clear the Strikethrough option and select OK. This dialog is also useful when you need to distinguish normal strikethrough from double strikethrough.
What If Only Some of the Selected Text Changes?
A selection can contain mixed formatting. If only part of it has strikethrough, Word may show an indeterminate formatting state. You can select the affected words more precisely and turn the setting off, or use Clear All Formatting if you intentionally want to remove other character formatting too.
Strikethrough Versus Track Changes
Deleted text can sometimes appear crossed out when Track Changes is enabled. In that situation, the line is revision markup rather than ordinary font formatting. Use the controls on the Review tab to accept or reject the tracked deletion instead of changing the Strikethrough button.
Additional Information
If strikethrough keeps returning, check whether the text uses a style that includes the formatting or whether tracked revisions are being displayed. Understanding which feature created the line makes it easier to remove it without changing unrelated formatting.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.