strikethrough.text

Free generator, copy and paste

Text with a line through it what it’s called and how to make it

A line through the middle of text is called strikethrough (or strikeout). Type below to get l̶i̶n̶e̶-̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ text you can paste anywhere.

27 characters, 6 words
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  • strikethrought̶e̶x̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶i̶t̶
  • short striket̵e̵x̵t̵ ̵w̵i̵t̵h̵ ̵a̵ ̵l̵i̵n̵e̵ ̵t̵h̵r̵o̵u̵g̵h̵ ̵i̵t̵
  • wavy striket̴e̴x̴t̴ ̴w̴i̴t̴h̴ ̴a̴ ̴l̴i̴n̴e̴ ̴t̴h̴r̴o̴u̴g̴h̴ ̴i̴t̴
  • slasht̷e̷x̷t̷ ̷w̷i̷t̷h̷ ̷a̷ ̷l̷i̷n̷e̷ ̷t̷h̷r̷o̷u̷g̷h̷ ̷i̷t̷
  • long slasht̸e̸x̸t̸ ̸w̸i̸t̸h̸ ̸a̸ ̸l̸i̸n̸e̸ ̸t̸h̸r̸o̸u̸g̸h̸ ̸i̸t̸
  • double slasht̸̷e̸̷x̸̷t̸̷ ̸̷w̸̷i̸̷t̸̷h̸̷ ̸̷a̸̷ ̸̷l̸̷i̸̷n̸̷e̸̷ ̸̷t̸̷h̸̷r̸̷o̸̷u̸̷g̸̷h̸̷ ̸̷i̸̷t̸̷
  • strike + underlinet̶̲e̶̲x̶̲t̶̲ ̶̲w̶̲i̶̲t̶̲h̶̲ ̶̲a̶̲ ̶̲l̶̲i̶̲n̶̲e̶̲ ̶̲t̶̲h̶̲r̶̲o̶̲u̶̲g̶̲h̶̲ ̶̲i̶̲t̶̲
  • strike + overlinet̶̅e̶̅x̶̅t̶̅ ̶̅w̶̅i̶̅t̶̅h̶̅ ̶̅a̶̅ ̶̅l̶̅i̶̅n̶̅e̶̅ ̶̅t̶̅h̶̅r̶̅o̶̅u̶̅g̶̅h̶̅ ̶̅i̶̅t̶̅
  • underlinet̲e̲x̲t̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲ ̲a̲ ̲l̲i̲n̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲r̲o̲u̲g̲h̲ ̲i̲t̲
  • double underlinet̳e̳x̳t̳ ̳w̳i̳t̳h̳ ̳a̳ ̳l̳i̳n̳e̳ ̳t̳h̳r̳o̳u̳g̳h̳ ̳i̳t̳
  • overlinet̅e̅x̅t̅ ̅w̅i̅t̅h̅ ̅a̅ ̅l̅i̅n̅e̅ ̅t̅h̅r̅o̅u̅g̅h̅ ̅i̅t̅
  • dottedt̤e̤x̤t̤ ̤w̤i̤t̤h̤ ̤a̤ ̤l̤i̤n̤e̤ ̤t̤h̤r̤o̤ṳg̤h̤ ̤i̤t̤
  • wavet̰ḛx̰t̰ ̰w̰ḭt̰h̰ ̰a̰ ̰l̰ḭn̰ḛ ̰t̰h̰r̰o̰ṵg̰h̰ ̰ḭt̰
  • x belowt͓e͓x͓t͓ ͓w͓i͓t͓h͓ ͓a͓ ͓l͓i͓n͓e͓ ͓t͓h͓r͓o͓u͓g͓h͓ ͓i͓t͓
  • redacted███████████████████████████

Updated · strikethroughtext.online

What it’s called, and where

Name Where you’ll see it
Strikethrough Word, Google Docs, Excel, Outlook, most apps and style guides
Strikeout Older Microsoft menus and some printing software
Strike HTML’s retired <strike> tag, Markdown discussions
line-through CSS: text-decoration: line-through
Deletion, <del> HTML for text that was removed from a document
Crossed out, crossed-off Everyday speech, to-do lists

They all describe the same thing: a single horizontal line through the middle of the letters. If a search for one name finds nothing in an app’s help pages, try another.

How to make it, depending on where you are

You’re in Do this
A document (Word, Docs, Pages) Use the app’s strikethrough button or shortcut. The line is formatting, so it stays editable
A web page you’re building <s> or <del> in HTML, or text-decoration: line-through in CSS
A chat app with Markdown Discord and Reddit use ~~text~~, WhatsApp and Slack use ~text~
Anywhere with no formatting Copy the Unicode version from the tool at the top: Instagram, TikTok, X, a bio, a file name
A phone Most keyboards can’t do it. Paste from the tool, or use the app’s own Markdown if it has one

The copy-and-paste version works because it isn’t formatting at all. Each letter is followed by an invisible combining character, U+0336, that draws a short line through it. Put one after every letter and the short lines join into one. The crossed-out font page explains why it’s not really a font.

A line through, over or under?

A line through text is easy to confuse with its neighbours. Each of these is a different style, and the site has a generator for each:

Style Looks like Generator
Strikethrough l̶i̶n̶e̶ Strikethrough
Double strikethrough l̶̲i̶̲n̶̲e̶̲ Double strikethrough
Slash l̷i̷n̷e̷ Slash text
Overline l̅i̅n̅e̅ Overline
Underline l̲i̲n̲e̲ Underline

What a line through text signals

In editing, a line through words marks text for deletion while keeping it readable, so a reviewer can see what changed. On a to-do list it means done. In a shop it marks the old price next to a new one. Online it has picked up a tone of its own: writing something and striking it out lets you say it and take it back at the same time, I definitely did not eat the last slice.

If the line is the message, keep it short; struck-through paragraphs are hard to read. For the full set of methods by app, from Excel to Outlook, see how to cross out text.

Questions people ask

What is a line through text called?

Strikethrough. You’ll also see strikeout (older Microsoft menus), strike (HTML’s old <strike> tag), line-through (the CSS value) and crossed-out text. They all mean a horizontal line through the middle of the letters.

How do I put a line through text in Word or Google Docs?

In Word, select the text and click the ab̶c̶ button on the Home tab, or press Ctrl + D and tick Strikethrough. On a Mac, Word uses Cmd + Shift + X. In Google Docs, press Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on a Mac.

How do I put a line through text in a text message?

SMS and iMessage have no strikethrough, so use the copy-and-paste version from the box above: it carries the line with it. WhatsApp also has its own shortcut, ~text~, which only works inside WhatsApp.

How do I make a line through text in CSS?

Use text-decoration: line-through. In HTML, wrap deleted text in <del> or no-longer-accurate text in <s>; browsers draw both with a line through by default.

Is a line through text the same as a slash?

No. Strikethrough is a horizontal line through the middle. A slash runs diagonally through each letter, like s̷l̷a̷s̷h̷, and is a separate style with its own Unicode mark (U+0337 or U+0338).

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