To cross out text, select it and use the strikethrough button or shortcut in your app. Word and Google Docs have one in the toolbar, iPhone apps have it under Format, and chat apps use tildes. In apps with no formatting, such as Instagram and TikTok, copy crossed out letters from our strikethrough text generator.
Two ways strikethrough works
There are two very different kinds of crossed out text, and knowing which one you need saves time.
Built in formatting is a style the app applies, like bold or italic. It draws one clean line, it is easy to remove, and screen readers understand it. It only works inside apps that support it.
Unicode strikethrough is made of special characters. Every letter is followed by a line character, so the line is part of the text. It works almost anywhere you can paste text, including bios and names, but it is harder to undo.
Cross out text in Microsoft Word
- Select the text.
- On the Home tab, click the strikethrough button. It shows the letters abc with a line through them.
For a double line, open the Font dialog with Ctrl + D on Windows or Command + D on a Mac, then tick Double strikethrough. Recent versions of Word for Mac also use Command + Shift + X for single strikethrough.
Cross out text in Google Docs
- Select the text.
- Open the Format menu, choose Text, then Strikethrough.
The shortcut is Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows and Chromebook, and Command + Shift + X on a Mac.
Cross out text in Excel and Google Sheets
In Excel, select the cells and press Ctrl + 5 on Windows or Command + Shift + X on a Mac. In Google Sheets, use the strikethrough button in the toolbar or the same shortcut as Google Docs. Crossing out cells is a handy way to mark tasks as done without deleting them.
Cross out text on iPhone
In Notes, select the words, tap the Aa button above the keyboard and choose the strikethrough button. In Messages on a recent version of iOS, select the words, tap Format in the menu that appears and choose strikethrough. In Mail, select the words and use the same Format menu.
In apps without a Format option, paste Unicode strikethrough instead.
Cross out text on Android
Android has no system wide strikethrough. Some apps, such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word, have their own formatting buttons. Google Messages does not offer text formatting yet, so use Unicode strikethrough for texts.
Cross out text in chat apps
| App | How to strike text | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Discord | Two tildes on each side | ~~text~~ |
| One tilde on each side | ~text~ | |
| Slack | One tilde on each side | ~text~ |
| Microsoft Teams | Strikethrough button in the formatting bar | Select, then click |
| Telegram | Select text, then use the formatting menu | Select, then choose |
Discord has the most options, including names and nicknames, so it gets its own guide on how to strikethrough on Discord. For every other Discord style, see our guide to Discord markdown.
Cross out text on Instagram, TikTok and X
These apps have no strikethrough option anywhere. Unicode strikethrough is the only way.
- Open the strikethrough text generator.
- Type your text and tap Copy.
- Paste it into your bio, caption, comment or post.
You can also pick a slashed, wavy, underlined or double underlined style from the same page. If you want to emphasize instead of cross out, the bold font generator works the same way.
Cross out text in a PDF
Most PDF readers with comment tools can strike text without editing it. In Adobe Acrobat Reader, open the comment tools, choose the strikethrough tool and drag across the words. Preview on a Mac has a similar strikethrough option in its markup tools. The line is saved as a comment, which others can see and reply to.
Cross out text in Gmail and Outlook
Gmail. In the compose window, select the text, open the formatting options with the underlined A button, and click the strikethrough button. Gmail keeps the line when the email is sent as formatted text.
Outlook. In a new message, select the text and click the strikethrough button in the Format Text or Message tab. In Outlook on the web, the button is in the formatting bar at the bottom of the compose window.
If someone reads your email in plain text mode, the formatting is removed. Unicode strikethrough survives plain text, but it is harder to read, so use it only for short words.
Strikethrough shortcut for each app
Here is every strikethrough shortcut from this guide in one place. Press the keys together with the text selected.
| App | Windows and Chromebook | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Toolbar button, or Ctrl + D for the Font dialog | Command + Shift + X |
| Google Docs and Sheets | Alt + Shift + 5 | Command + Shift + X |
| Excel | Ctrl + 5 | Command + Shift + X |
| Slack | Ctrl + Shift + X | Command + Shift + X |
| Discord | Type ~~text~~ | Type ~~text~~ |
Type ~text~ | Type ~text~ |
Instagram, TikTok and X have no shortcut and no button, so use Unicode strikethrough there.
Which method to use
- Writing a document. Use built in strikethrough. It is clean, easy to remove and accessible.
- Chatting on Discord, WhatsApp or Slack. Use the tilde shortcuts.
- Posting on social apps or editing a name. Use Unicode strikethrough from a generator.
- Marking up a PDF. Use the strikethrough comment tool.
Whichever you pick, keep important information readable. A crossed out price next to a new one is clear. A whole paragraph crossed out is hard for anyone to read.