How to Strikethrough in Excel

This article explains how to apply the strikethrough format to text or numbers in Excel Online, on the desktop, and on Android or iOS.

How to Strikethrough Text in Excel Online

Strikethrough is a built-in toggle offered in Excel Online as part of font formatting options on the Home tab:

1. Go to Excel Online. Sign in with your Microsoft account, if prompted.

2. Open the spreadsheet in which you want to strike through text.

3. Select the cell or cells you want to strike through.

4. Select the strikethrough format option, much as you would add bold, underline, or italics.

5. The selected cells will now show strikethough text.

How to Strikethrough Text in Desktop Excel 

Most recently installed versions of Excel offer strikethrough as a specific formatting option under font effects. The following works in Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, and Excel 365:

1. Start Excel and open the spreadsheet in which you want to strike through text.

2. Select the cell (or cells) in which you want strike through text.

3. Select the Format Cells launcher to access cell formatting options. (In older versions of Excel, navigate to Menu > Format > Format Cells and look for Font.)

4. Under Effects, select the checkbox to the left of Strikethrough.

5. Select OK. 

6. The contents of the text or numbers in the selected cells should now display as strikethrough text.

Alternatively, you might try keyboard shortcuts to toggle strikethrough text in Excel. Select the cell (or cells) desired, then press Ctrl+5. On macOS use Shift+Command+X or, on older macOS versions of Excel, such as Excel 2011 or Excel 2008, try Shift+Command+minus.

To remove the strikethrough effect, select a cell (or cells), then repeat the process or keyboard shortcut detailed above.

How to Strikethrough Text in Excel on Android or iOS Devices

As of June 2019, neither Microsoft Excel on Android nor iOS offers built-in support for strikethrough text in the app. But you can still add strikethrough text and/or numbers into an Excel cell with the help of a website:

1. Open either Safari (on iOS) or Chrome (on Android) to https://www.piliapp.com/cool-text/strikethrough-text/. 

2. Enter the text you want to display as strikethrough in the first text box. You’ll see the sample text, with strikethrough, below. 

3. Tap Copy to Clipboard. Return to your device’s home screen.

4. Open Excel.

5. Tap to select and open the file into which you want to insert strikethrough text.

6. Tap the cell into which you want to insert strikethrough text.

7. Depending on your device, either tap Paste or tap the clipboard icon to paste the contents of the clipboard (the strikethrough text you’d created earlier) into the cell.

8. In some cases, you may see an extra line or dash. Adjust the contents of the cell, if needed.

9. Your strikethrough text should now display as desired in Excel.