Strikethrough draws a line through text without deleting it. The strikethrough feature is often overlooked in text documents. It’s handy for crossing items off a to-do list, showing edits in a shared document, or marking a price change like ₹999 ₹699.
If you use strikethrough regularly and want to develop a faster way of using it, read ahead to understand the keyboard shortcut for strikethrough, on both Windows and Mac.
Different Keyboard Shortcuts for Strikethrough for Different Platforms
Quick Answer
- Microsoft Word (Windows): Press Alt, then H, then 4 (one after another).
- Microsoft Excel (Windows): Ctrl + 5
- Google Docs and Gmail (Windows/Chromebook): Alt + Shift + 5
- Most apps on Mac (Word, Excel, Google Docs, Slack): Cmd + Shift + X
In almost every app, pressing the same shortcut again removes the strikethrough.
Strikethrough Shortcuts by App
| App | Windows / Chromebook | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Alt, H, 4 (in sequence) | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Microsoft Excel | Ctrl + 5 | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Alt, H, 4 (in sequence) | Cmd + T, then tick Strikethrough |
| Outlook (desktop, message window) | Ctrl + Shift + P, then Alt + K | Cmd + D, then tick Strikethrough |
| OneNote (desktop) | Alt + Hyphen (-) | Cmd + Hyphen (-) |
| Microsoft Teams (chat) | Ctrl + Alt + X | Use the formatting toolbar |
| Google Docs, Sheets, Slides | Alt + Shift + 5 | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Gmail | Alt + Shift + 5 | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Slack | Ctrl + Shift + X | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Notion | Ctrl + Shift + S | Cmd + Shift + S |
| WordPress Classic Editor | Alt + Shift + D | Control + Option + D |
| Discord | Type ~~text~~ | Type ~~text~~ |
| Type ~text~ | Type ~text~ |
Always select the text first, then press the shortcut. Shortcuts are based on a US keyboard layout, so a few keys may differ on other layouts.
Method 1: Using Strikethrough in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is easily the most popular text editing platform in the world. Therefore, it is natural that many people have tried to use the strikethrough feature in this platform. On Windows, the shortcut for strikethrough for Microsoft Word is Alt + H + 4. This shortcut can also be used to strike through text in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Using Strikethrough Shortcut in Mac: The commands in Mac work in a slightly different manner from those in Windows. The keyboard shortcut for strikethrough in Microsoft Word is CMD + Shift + X. To change the shortcut, and you can use the steps mentioned above. To create a custom shortcut, go to Tools > Customize Keyboard.
But there are other ways you can use the strikethrough feature in Microsoft Word on Windows:
a. Open the Word document you want to edit and highlight the text you want to add strikethrough.
b. Now go to the Toolbar, and click on the option that resembles ‘abc.’ This is the strikethrough feature, and it will edit your text accordingly.
There is a possibility that the strikethrough feature might not be available on your Toolbar. However, you can tackle this by following these steps:
a. Highlight the text and enter Ctrl + D. This will open up the Font customization box.
b. Here, press Alt + K to select the strikethrough feature and then click on ‘OK.’ Your selected text will have a strike through it.
Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut for Strikethrough in Microsoft Excel
Select one or more cells and press Ctrl + 5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on Mac. The whole cell’s contents get crossed out. To strike through only part of a cell, double-click the cell (or press F2), select the characters you want, and then use the shortcut.
If Ctrl + 5 doesn’t work, press Ctrl + 1, open the Font tab, tick Strikethrough, and click OK.
Also Read: Fix Windows Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working
Method 3: Adding Strikethrough in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail
All Google Workspace apps use the same shortcut:
- Windows and Chromebook: Alt + Shift + 5
- Mac: Cmd + Shift + X
You can view this strike-through option by clicking on Format > Text > Strikethrough in Docs and Slides, or click the S button in the Sheets toolbar. In Gmail, click the Formatting options (A) icon at the bottom of the compose window and choose strikethrough.
Method 4: Striking Through in PowerPoint and Outlook
PowerPoint (Windows): Select the text and press Alt, H, 4 in sequence, just like Word. You can also press Ctrl + T to open the Font dialog, then Alt + K and Enter. On Mac, press Cmd + T and tick Strikethrough.
Outlook (desktop): Inside a new email or reply, select the text and press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the Font dialog. Then press Alt + K and Enter. Don’t press Ctrl + D in the main Outlook window, because there it deletes the selected email. In the new Outlook and Outlook on the web, use the strikethrough button in the formatting toolbar at the bottom of the message window.
Method 5: Striking Through Text in WordPress
WordPress has emerged as the preferred choice of CMS for many users. In WordPress, the strikethrough keyboard shortcut is Shift + Alt + D on Windows or Control + Option + D on Mac.
Block Editor (Gutenberg): There’s no default strikethrough shortcut. Select the text, click the down arrow (More) in the block toolbar, and choose Strikethrough. Press Shift + Alt + H at any time to see every shortcut the block editor supports.
In HTML, use <del>text</del> for removed content (such as an old price) or <s>text</s> for text that’s no longer accurate.
Method 6: Striking Through in OneNote and Microsoft Teams
OneNote: In the current OneNote desktop app for Windows, select the text and press Alt + Hyphen (-). Older guides mention Ctrl + Hyphen, which belonged to the retired OneNote for Windows 10 app. In OneNote for the web, use Home > Strikethrough.
Teams: In a chat or channel message box, select the text and press Ctrl + Alt + X. Don’t use Ctrl + Shift + X here. In Teams, that expands the compose box instead.
Method 7: Striking Through in Slack, Notion, Discord, and WhatsApp
Chat and note apps often support typed formatting in addition to (or instead of) keyboard shortcuts.
- Slack: Press Ctrl + Shift + X (Cmd + Shift + X on Mac), or wrap the text in single tildes:
~text~. - Notion: Press Ctrl + Shift + S (Cmd + Shift + S on Mac), or type
~text~and Notion converts it. - Discord: There’s no key combination. Type two tildes on each side:
~~text~~. - WhatsApp: Type one tilde on each side:
~text~. This works on the phone, desktop app, and WhatsApp Web. - Markdown editors (Obsidian, GitHub, Reddit): Use
~~text~~.
Create a strikethrough shortcut for any Mac app
macOS lets you add a shortcut to any menu command.
- Open System Settings > Keyboard and click Keyboard Shortcuts.
- Select App Shortcuts and click the + button.
- Choose the app, such as Notes, from the Application menu.
- In Menu title, type Strikethrough exactly as it appears in the app’s menu.
- Click the Keyboard shortcut field, press Cmd + Shift + X, and click Done.
Choosing Cmd + Shift + X keeps your shortcut consistent with Word, Google Docs, and Slack.
Recommended:
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- How to Change Font Style in WhatsApp
- 2 Ways to Change Margins In Google Docs
- 3 Ways to Add Album Art to MP3 in Windows 10
We hope this article was helpful and now you know different keyboard shortcuts for different applications. If you have any further doubts, reach out to us through the comments section, and we will clear them out for you.
