3 Excel Strikethrough Shortcuts to Cross Out Text or Values

Strikethrough formatting lets you cross out text or values, like this. Strikethrough text is often used in editing but you could also use strikethrough in Excel worksheets to show a price drop: $100 $79.

If you want to learn more about formatting spreadsheets, check out our Excel courses. If you use strikethrough formatting a lot, I have another article that talks about strikethrough shortcuts in Microsoft Word.

Let’s look at various ways to use strikethrough in Excel.

3 Ways to Use Strikethrough Shortcuts in Excel

All of the techniques described in this article do exactly the same thing: they apply the strikethrough format in Excel. Choose the option you find the easiest to remember.

Without further ado, here are 3 Excel strikethrough shortcuts you can use in your worksheets.

1) Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Apply the Strikethrough Format

I have often said that keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to be more productive in Microsoft Office.

Excel has a built-in keyboard shortcut for strikethrough – and it’s ridiculously simple! Here’s what you do.

1. Select the cell (or cells) you want to apply the strikethrough format to.
2. Press Ctrl + 5.

Press Ctrl + 5 once to apply strikethrough formatting, press Ctrl + 5 again to remove it.

Here’s a tip: the “5” kind of looks like an S so maybe that will help you remember this keyboard shortcut… but repetition is likely the only way you’ll integrate the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + 5 into your daily routine.

2) Apply Strikethrough Formatting with the Format Cells Dialog Box

You can apply strikethrough in Excel using the Format Cells dialog box. Here’s how you do it.

1. Select the cell (or cells) you want to strikethrough in Excel.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + F.
   The Format Cells dialog box appears with the Font tab selected.
3. Select the Strikethrough checkbox in the effects section (or press Alt + K).
4. Click OK.

3) Add a Strikethrough Shortcut to the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is located above the Excel ribbon. It’s a convenient place to store frequently used commands because the Quick Access Toolbar is aways accessible, no matter which tab is selected on the ribbon.

Here is how to add a strikethrough shortcut to the Quick Access Toolbar.

1. Click the down arrow on the right side of the Quick Access Toolbar and select More Commands.
   The Excel Options dialog box appears with the Quick Access Toolbar tab selected.
2. Select Commands Not in the Ribbon from the Choose commands from drop down menu.
3. Select Strikethrough from the list of commands then click Add.
4. Click OK.
   A Strikethrough shortcut is added to the Quick Access Toolbar.

To add or remove strikethrough formatting, select a cell (or cells) then click Strikethrough on the Quick Access Toolbar.

Excel Strikethrough Pro Tip

All of the strikethrough shortcuts in Excel have focused on how to apply strikethrough to entire cells but you can apply strikethrough formatting to a word, phrase, or number within a cell, if you want.

Simply select the cell, drag to select the characters you’d like to format in the Formula Bar, and strikethrough the selected word, phrase, or numbers using any of the techniques described above.

In the example above, I applied strikethrough to the word pizza.

Now You Know How to Apply Strikethrough in Excel!

Congratulations… you’ve mastered the art of strikethrough in Excel!

The strikethrough format can be useful in so many situations. Whether you want to indicate that a correction has been made, or a discount has been applied, Excel strikethrough is the clear solution.

Choose your favorite strikethrough shortcut and format cells accordingly!