How to Strike Through Text in Microsoft Word

When collaborating on a document, simply deleting a sentence and typing a new one is often destructive. The original author cannot see what you removed, making it impossible to discuss the edits. In legal contracts, academic peer reviews, or editorial workflows, you must preserve the original text while simultaneously indicating that it should be removed. This is achieved using Strikethrough. Strikethrough formatting draws a horizontal line directly through the center of the text, visually “crossing it out” while leaving it perfectly legible for everyone else to read and review.

Method 1: The Ribbon Button (The Visual Way)

Microsoft Word provides a dedicated button for this formatting, making it incredibly easy to apply to specific words or entire paragraphs.

1. Open your Microsoft Word document.
2. Using your mouse, carefully click and drag to highlight the specific text you wish to cross out. (You can also double-click to highlight a single word, or triple-click to highlight a whole paragraph).
3. Navigate to the Home tab on the ribbon at the top of the screen.
4. Look in the Font group (where the Bold and Italic buttons are).
5. Click the button that looks like the letters ab with a line drawn through them.

A solid line will instantly appear through the center of your highlighted text. To remove the formatting, simply highlight the crossed-out text and click the ab button a second time.

Method 2: The Double Strikethrough (For Legal Documents)

In highly formal settings, particularly in legal drafting where single and double lines carry specific contractual meanings, you may be required to use a “Double Strikethrough.” This button is not available on the main ribbon.

1. Highlight the text you want to format.
2. Go to the Home tab and look at the Font group.
3. In the absolute bottom-right corner of this group, you will see a tiny icon that looks like a small square with an arrow pointing down and to the right (the Dialog Box Launcher). Click this tiny arrow.
4. The advanced Font dialog box will pop up.
5. Look in the middle section under “Effects.”
6. Check the box next to Double strikethrough. You will see a live preview in the window below.
7. Click OK.

The text will now have two distinct lines drawn through the center.

Alternative: Track Changes

If you are using Strikethrough extensively to edit someone else’s work, you should consider using Word’s built-in Track Changes feature instead. When Track Changes is turned on (via the ‘Review’ tab), Word automatically applies red strikethrough to anything you delete, and underlines anything new you type, automating the entire editorial process.