Word on Windows and Mac
Strikethrough in Word Windows, Mac and the web
Word on Windows has no single-key strikethrough shortcut out of the box, but there’s a quick two-step route, a button, and a way to make your own.
Updated · strikethroughtext.online
The quickest way on Windows
Word for Windows doesn’t ship with a dedicated strikethrough shortcut, but the Font dialog gets you there without the mouse:
- Select the text.
- Press Ctrl + D to open the Font dialog.
- Press Alt + K to tick Strikethrough.
- Press Enter.
With the mouse, it’s the ab̶c̶ button on the Home tab, in the Font group next to the subscript and superscript buttons.
On a Mac
Select the text and press ⌘ + Shift + X. The same button is on the Home tab, and the Font dialog is under Format → Font (or ⌘ + D).
Make your own one-key shortcut (Windows)
If you use strikethrough a lot, assign it a shortcut:
- Go to File → Options → Customize Ribbon.
- Next to Keyboard shortcuts, click Customize.
- Under Categories, choose Home Tab. Under Commands, choose Strikethrough.
- Click in Press new shortcut key and press the combination you want, for example Ctrl + Alt + S. Word shows what the key is currently assigned to, if anything.
- Click Assign, then Close.
Double strikethrough
Word also has a double line. It’s only in the Font dialog: press Ctrl + D and tick Double strikethrough. It’s useful in legal and accounting documents, where a double line can signal a formal deletion.
Strikethrough vs. Track Changes
If you’re editing someone else’s document, turn on Track Changes in the Review tab instead of striking text by hand. Word shows your deletions struck through in colour, records who made them, and lets the author accept or reject each one. Hand-applied strikethrough looks the same but carries none of that history.
Word on the web
Word for the web has the same ab̶c̶ button on the Home tab. Select the text and click it; click again to remove it.
Taking it out of Word
Strikethrough is formatting, so it disappears when you paste into a plain-text field. If you need a struck word in a chat, a social profile or a file name, use the copy-paste version on this page.
Copy-paste version
For the places where Word formatting won't follow your text, like file names, chat apps or a social bio.
- strikethrough
- short strike
- wavy strike
- slash
- long slash
- double slash
- strike + underline
- strike + overline
- underline
- double underline
- overline
- dotted
- wave
- x below
- redacted
Questions people ask
What is the shortcut for strikethrough in Word?
On a Mac, Cmd + Shift + X. On Windows there is no default one-step shortcut: press Ctrl + D to open the Font dialog, Alt + K to tick Strikethrough, then Enter. You can also assign your own shortcut, explained on this page.
How do I do a double strikethrough in Word?
Select the text, press Ctrl + D (Cmd + D on a Mac) to open the Font dialog, and tick Double strikethrough under Effects. There is no button for it on the ribbon.
How do I remove strikethrough in Word?
Select the text and click the strikethrough button again, or press Ctrl + Space to remove all character formatting from the selection.
Why does deleted text show as strikethrough in my Word document?
Track Changes is on. Word shows deletions as red strikethrough until they are accepted. Go to the Review tab and choose Accept or Reject, or turn off Track Changes to stop recording new edits.