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A strikethrough is a line through the middle of text. It shows that the text is no longer valid or has been completed.
This method keeps the text visible but marked as finished or changed.
Typical Uses for Strikethrough Text
- Task Lists: Mark tasks as completed without removing them.
- Editing: Show revisions while keeping the original text visible.
- Errors: Indicate mistakes that have been noted but not removed.
- Ideas: Cross out ideas that have been considered but not selected.
Let’s look at different methods of how to strikethrough in Excel.
Method 1: Font Settings
Imagine you have a learning list, and you want to mark each completed item with strikethrough text.
- Select the cell or multiple cells you want to strikethrough.
- Right-click and choose “Format Cells…”
- Go to the “Font” tab.
- Check the “Strikethrough” box.
- Click “OK” and Excel will put a line through the text.
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Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut
The quickest solution to cross out text is to use the Excel strikethrough shortcut.
- Select the cell or text.
- Use the strikethrough hotkey Ctrl + 5 (Command + Shift + X on Mac).
The strikethrough format will be applied to the selected cell(s) instantly.
Use the shortcut key for strikethrough again to undo the strikethrough formatting.
Grab your free must-have Excel keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet 👉 here!
Method 3: Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)
Another quick solution is to add a Strikethrough button to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) on the Excel ribbon. This makes strikethrough formatting just a click away.
- Click the dropdown arrow at the right end of the Quick Access Toolbar.
- Select “More Commands…” from the dropdown menu.
- In the Excel Options menu, set the “Choose commands from” dropdown to “All Commands.”
- Scroll down the list, select “Strikethrough”. Then click the “Add” button to move it to the QAT.
- Click “OK” to apply the changes.
The Strikethrough icon will now appear in your Quick Access Toolbar. Highlight the cells you want to format and click this icon to apply the strikethrough.
Method 4: Conditional Formatting
You can use conditional formatting to add strikethrough to cells automatically. For example, mark a task as “done” in a nearby cell.
The task text will then show a strikethrough. Here’s how:
- Select the cells with your tasks where you want to apply conditional strikethrough.
- Go to the “Home” tab on the Ribbon.
- Click on “Conditional Formatting” in the “Styles” group.
- Choose “New Rule” from the dropdown menu.
- In the “New Formatting Rule” dialog box, select “Use a formula to determine which cells to format.”
- In the “Format values where this formula is true” box, enter this formula (adjust the cell reference for your data):
=$C6="done"💡 The dollar sign before the column letter ($C) locks the column in place, even if you move or copy the formula. This lets the row number change while keeping the column fixed. Want to learn more about Excel cell referencing? Read our full guide here.
- Then click the “Format” button to open the “Format Cells” dialog box.
- Go to the “Font” tab in the “Format Cells” dialog box.
- Check the “Strikethrough” box. Optionally, you can make other formatting changes, such as setting a light grey font color for crossed-out entries.
- Click “OK” to close the “Format Cells” dialog box.
- Click “OK” again to close the “New Formatting Rule” dialog box.
Now, when you type “done” in the cell in column C for a task, Excel will apply the strikethrough format to the task text in the cell.
For a detailed guide on how to use conditional formatting in Excel, check out this article.
Method 5: Checkbox in Excel
You can use checkboxes to mark tasks as done. Insert checkboxes in Excel and link them to cells (which you can hide later).
Base your conditional formatting rule on the linked cells (TRUE if checked, FALSE if not).
Excel will automatically strike through tasks when the checkbox is selected.
In addition to this, we have added a resulting list “Left to Learn” next to it. This list shows the remaining tasks using the FILTER function in Excel.
For step-by-step instructions to create this, check out the detailed article here.
This method is also included in the workbook you can download below. 👇
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Leila Gharani
I’ve spent over 20 years helping businesses use data to improve their results. I've worked as an economist and a consultant. I spent 12 years in corporate roles across finance, operations, and IT—managing SAP and Oracle projects.
As a 7-time Microsoft MVP, I have deep knowledge of tools like Excel and Power BI.
I love making complex tech topics easy to understand. There’s nothing better than helping someone realize they can do it themselves. I’m always learning new things too and finding better ways to help others succeed.
