Strikethrough Key Shortcut Guide for Docs, Excel, and Web Apps

The quickest strikethrough key shortcut on Windows is Alt + Shift + 5 in Google Docs and Ctrl + 5 in Microsoft Excel. On macOS, the standard shortcut across Google Docs, Excel, and Word for Web is Cmd + Shift + X.

Applying strikethrough formatting allows you to mark completed tasks, denote draft revisions, or indicate deleted text while keeping the original content legible. Because software vendors do not share a single unified keyboard standard, shortcut keys vary depending on whether you work inside desktop office suites, web browsers, collaboration channels, or plain text editors.

Strikethrough shortcuts across major applications

The table below summarizes the exact key combinations required to toggle strikethrough formatting across common operating systems and desktop apps.

Applying strikethrough in Microsoft Word and Excel

Microsoft Office handles typographic shortcuts differently between spreadsheets and word processors. In Microsoft Excel on Windows, Ctrl + 5 is the hardcoded toggle for cell and inline text strikethrough. The historical reason for this specific mapping goes back to early spreadsheet formatting layouts: the number row mapped basic font attributes sequentially, where Ctrl + 2 triggered bold, Ctrl + 3 italic, Ctrl + 4 underline, and Ctrl + 5 strikethrough.

In desktop Microsoft Word for Windows, there is no single out-of-the-box shortcut key combination assigned by default. Instead, you can execute the formatting instantly using ribbon navigation hotkeys. Pressing Alt activates keytips on the ribbon interface. Pressing H opens the Home tab, and pressing 4 applies the strikethrough formatting to selected text.

If you prefer an older modal dialogue method inside Word on Windows, follow these actions:

• • Highlight the text you want to format.
  • Press Ctrl + D to open the Font formatting dialog window.
  • Press Alt + K to check the Strikethrough box.
  • Press Enter to apply the change and close the window.

For macOS users running Microsoft Office desktop software, Cmd + Shift + X functions across both Word and Excel. If you run Word through a browser on Windows, Microsoft matches the web standard of Ctrl + Shift + X.

Executing strikethrough in Google Workspace

Google Workspace implements identical strikethrough shortcuts across Google Docs and Google Sheets, but key bindings differ by operating system. On Windows and Chromebook devices, highlight your text and press Alt + Shift + 5. On Mac computers, press Cmd + Shift + X.

When working in Google Sheets, remember that the key binding operates differently depending on your edit state:

• • • Cell selection mode: Selecting a grid box and pressing the shortcut applies strikethrough to all text contained inside that cell.
    • Text editing mode: Double-clicking into a cell or highlighting specific words in the formula bar applies strikethrough strictly to the selected characters.

If browser extensions intercept your keyboard inputs, you can fall back on menu sequences. In Google Docs, press Alt + O (on Windows) or Ctrl + Option + O (on Mac) to open the Format menu, then press T for Text, and S for Strikethrough.

Using strikethrough in messaging platforms and Markdown

Modern communication tools and knowledge management software rely heavily on standardized inline shortcuts or explicit markup tags to format text without requiring mouse clicks.

In Slack and Microsoft Teams, highlighting text and pressing Ctrl + Shift + X (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + X (Mac) toggles strikethrough immediately inside the message input field. Slack also supports raw markup syntax: wrapping text in single tildes like ~sample text~ renders it with a line through the middle once sent.

Notion uses a slightly different arrangement to avoid colliding with search and extension commands. In Notion, press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or Cmd + Shift + S on Mac to cross out selected block text.

In standard Markdown text files and software such as Obsidian, GitHub, or Reddit, strikethrough is produced using raw syntax rather than live shortcut commands. You enclose the text between two tildes on each side:

~~This line of text will be struck through.~~

When rendered by a Markdown engine, this syntax outputs as This line of text will be struck through..

How to set up custom strikethrough shortcuts

If your primary application lacks a direct key mapping—such as desktop Microsoft Word on Windows—you can create your own persistent keyboard binding in under a minute.

Creating a custom shortcut in Microsoft Word for Windows

1. Open Microsoft Word and navigate to File > Options.
2. Select Customize Ribbon from the left sidebar.
3. At the bottom of the panel, click the Customize button next to Keyboard shortcuts.
4. In the Categories list, select All Commands.
5. Scroll down the Commands column and choose Strikethrough.
6. Click inside the Press new shortcut key box and press your preferred combination (such as Ctrl + Shift + S or Alt + S).
7. Verify that the status below shows “Currently assigned to: [Unassigned]” to prevent overwriting critical shortcuts.
8. Click Assign, then click OK to save.

Creating a system-wide macOS menu shortcut

On macOS, you can map system menu commands to custom shortcuts for any desktop app, including Apple Pages, TextEdit, and third-party writing tools.

1. Open System Settings on your Mac.
2. Navigate to Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts.
3. Select App Shortcuts from the left menu and click the + (Add) button.
4. Choose the application (e.g., Pages or All Applications).
5. In the Menu Title field, type the exact menu command name: Strikethrough.
6. Click inside the Keyboard Shortcut field and press your desired key combination (for instance, Cmd + Shift + X).
7. Click Done.

Troubleshooting key conflicts and edge cases

When a strikethrough shortcut fails to respond, the issue usually stems from operating system overrides, international keyboard layouts, or application edit modes.

I recommend checking the following technical conditions if your key combinations do not work:

• Non-QWERTY key layouts: On AZERTY or QWERTZ keyboards, accessing numbers requires pressing the Shift key. When using Ctrl + 5 in Excel on these keyboards, you must press Ctrl + Shift + 5 or use the numeric keypad with NumLock engaged.
• Browser extension overrides: Web utilities like screen capture tools, translation extensions, or password managers often register global hotkeys like Alt + Shift + 5 or Cmd + Shift + X. Disabling conflicting extension shortcuts in Chrome via chrome://extensions/shortcuts restores default web app behavior.
• Rich text vs. plain text environments: Text editing tools like Microsoft Notepad, Windows Terminal, or standard browser input fields do not support rich text attribute layers. Pressing a strikethrough key shortcut inside a basic text box will produce no visual result unless the input field parses Markdown or HTML tags.
• Focus state inside web grids: In web apps like Airtable or Google Sheets, pressing a shortcut while a full cell is highlighted alters the whole cell value, whereas pressing it while a cursor is inside the text string formats only selected words.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut key for strikethrough in Microsoft Word on Windows?

Desktop Microsoft Word on Windows does not have a single-press default shortcut key. You can press Alt, then H, then 4 to activate it through ribbon keytips, or open the Font window using Ctrl + D, press Alt + K, and press Enter.

Why does Ctrl + 5 work in Excel but not in Word?

Microsoft Excel retains legacy formatting keybindings from early versions where the number row controlled typography styles (Ctrl + 2 for bold, Ctrl + 3 for italic, Ctrl + 4 for underline, Ctrl + 5 for strikethrough). Microsoft Word uses sequential ribbon keytips and dedicated options menus instead.

How do you strike through text in Markdown?

In Markdown syntax, wrap your target text with two tildes on each side, such as ~~deleted text~~. Most modern Markdown parsers automatically convert this markup into an HTML <del> or <SGT; tag.

How do I remove strikethrough formatting using keyboard shortcuts?

Highlight the struck-through text and press the exact same key shortcut used to apply it. Strikethrough keyboard combinations act as a binary toggle across Google Docs, Excel, Word, Slack, and Notion.