When you are managing a shared task list, a project tracker, or an inventory spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, you often need to indicate that a specific item is completed or no longer relevant. While you could simply delete the entire row, doing so removes all historical record of that item. The best way to visually mark an item as finished while preserving the underlying data for future reference is to apply a Strikethrough format.
How to Apply Strikethrough Formatting
Unlike Microsoft Word, which has a dedicated Strikethrough button permanently visible on the main Home ribbon, Excel hides this feature slightly deeper within the formatting menus to save space for numerical tools.
- Click on the specific cell (or click and drag to highlight multiple cells) that contains the text you want to cross out.
- Right-click directly on the highlighted area.
- Select Format Cells… from the context menu that appears.
- In the dialog box, click on the Font tab at the top.
- Look in the bottom-left corner of the window for the “Effects” section.
- Check the box next to Strikethrough.
- Click OK.
A solid horizontal line will instantly appear directly through the middle of the text in your selected cells.
The Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest Method)
If you use the Strikethrough feature frequently (such as crossing off items on a daily to-do list), opening the Format Cells dialog box every single time is incredibly tedious. Fortunately, Excel has a built-in keyboard shortcut.
- Select the cell you want to format.
- Press and hold the Ctrl key, and then tap the number 5 key on your keyboard (
Ctrl + 5).
This shortcut acts as a toggle. If you accidentally cross out the wrong item, simply select the cell again and press Ctrl + 5 to instantly remove the line and restore the normal text.
Important Note on Numbers and Math
It is crucial to understand that Strikethrough is purely a visual formatting trick. If you apply a strikethrough to a cell containing the number $500, Excel will still calculate that $500 in any SUM formulas or pivot tables that reference the cell. If you want a number to be completely excluded from your financial calculations, you must delete the number or change its value to zero.