How to Add a Strikethrough in Excel

The quickest way to add a strikethrough in Excel is to select the cell and press Ctrl + 5. On a Mac, press Cmd + Shift + X. Press the same keys again to remove it. You can also use the Format Cells dialog (Ctrl + 1 > Font > Strikethrough), cross out just part of a cell’s text, or set up a conditional formatting rule that crosses out a row automatically when a task is marked done. Here’s each method, step by step.

Method 1: Keyboard shortcut

1. Select the cell or cells you want to cross out. You can select a whole row, column or range.
2. Press Ctrl + 5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on a Mac.

The text in every selected cell gets a line through it. The cell’s value doesn’t change, so formulas that refer to it still work. Press the shortcut again to remove the line.

Use the 5 key on the top row of the keyboard, not the numeric keypad. Ctrl + 5 also works in Excel for the web.

Method 2: The Format Cells dialog

1. Select the cells.
2. Press Ctrl + 1 (Mac: Cmd + 1), or right-click and choose Format Cells.
3. Open the Font tab.
4. Under Effects, tick Strikethrough.
5. Click OK.

This is handy when you also want to change the font color at the same time, for example making completed items grey and crossed out.

Method 3: Cross out part of a cell

To strike through only some words in a cell:

1. Double-click the cell, or select it and press F2, to edit it.
2. Highlight just the characters you want to cross out.
3. Press Ctrl + 5, or press Ctrl + 1 and tick Strikethrough.
4. Press Enter.

This only works on cells that contain typed text. A cell that contains a formula or number can only be crossed out as a whole.

Method 4: Add a Strikethrough button

Desktop Excel doesn’t have a strikethrough button on the Home tab, but you can add one to the Quick Access Toolbar:

1. Go to File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar.
2. In Choose commands from, pick All Commands.
3. Scroll to Strikethrough, select it and click Add.
4. Click OK.

The button appears at the top of the window and works like the shortcut.

Method 5: Cross out rows automatically with conditional formatting

For a to-do list or tracker, you can make Excel strike through a task as soon as it’s marked complete. In this example, column C holds the status, and the rows start at row 2.

1. Select the rows you want formatted, for example A2:D50.
2. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
3. Choose Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
4. Enter =$C2="Done".
5. Click Format, open the Font tab, tick Strikethrough and, if you like, pick a grey color.
6. Click OK twice.

Now any row where column C says Done is crossed out, and the line disappears if you change the status back.

The dollar sign in $C2 locks the column, so every cell in the row checks column C. Leaving the row number unlocked lets the rule move down the list.

Using checkboxes

If your version of Microsoft 365 has Insert > Checkbox, add checkboxes in column C and use the rule =$C2=TRUE instead. Ticking a box then crosses out the task. For complete list templates, see how to make a checklist in Excel and how to make a to-do list in Excel.

Strikethrough on Mac, the web and mobile

Version	Shortcut	Menu route
Excel for Windows	Ctrl + 5	Ctrl + 1 > Font > Strikethrough
Excel for Mac	Cmd + Shift + X	Cmd + 1 > Font > Strikethrough
Excel for the web	Ctrl + 5	Home > Font options
Excel on iPhone, iPad and Android	None	Select the cell, open the formatting options (the A with a pencil icon) and look for the strikethrough button

The phone and tablet apps change their layout from time to time, so if you don’t see the strikethrough button, scroll through the font options.

Cross out a whole cell with a diagonal line

Strikethrough only runs through the text. To mark an empty cell or block it out visually, use a diagonal border instead:

1. Select the cell and press Ctrl + 1.
2. Open the Border tab.
3. Click one of the diagonal line buttons in the bottom corners of the preview, and click OK.

Using both diagonal buttons gives you an X across the cell, which is a common way to mark slots as unavailable in a schedule.

Remove a strikethrough

• Typed formatting: Select the cells and press Ctrl + 5 again, or untick Strikethrough in Format Cells.
• Clear all formatting: Go to Home > Clear > Clear Formats. This also removes colors, borders and number formats.
• Conditional formatting: The shortcut won’t remove it. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules and delete or edit the rule.

Troubleshooting

Ctrl + 5 does nothing

Make sure you’re using the 5 on the top row of the keyboard. Some keyboard utilities or remote desktop tools capture the shortcut, so try the Format Cells dialog instead. If the sheet is protected, formatting may be locked. Unprotect it under Review > Unprotect Sheet.

Only part of the text gets crossed out

Some characters in the cell have their own formatting. Select the whole cell, not the text inside it, and apply strikethrough again.

The conditional rule doesn’t work

Check the dollar signs and the starting row in the formula. The rule’s row number must match the first row of your selection. Also check that the status text matches exactly, including spaces.

Frequently asked questions

Does strikethrough change the cell’s value?

No. It’s formatting only. SUM, COUNT and other formulas still include crossed-out cells. To leave completed items out of a total, use a formula such as =SUMIF(C2:C50,"<>Done",D2:D50).

Can Excel do a double strikethrough?

No. Excel only offers a single line. Word has a double strikethrough option.

Does it work in Word and Outlook too?

Yes, but the shortcuts are different. See the strikethrough shortcut in Word and how to strikethrough text in Outlook.

Summary

1. Select the cells.
2. Press Ctrl + 5 (Mac: Cmd + Shift + X).
3. To cross out part of a cell, edit it and select the text first.
4. To cross out finished tasks automatically, use a conditional formatting rule.