You Just Need to Cross Something Out
You’re editing a shared project proposal, and a brilliant teammate points out a flawed assumption. The text needs to go, but you don’t want to delete the history of your thought process. Or perhaps you’re finalizing a meeting agenda and need to visually mark items as completed. Maybe you’re a student peer-reviewing an essay and want to suggest deletions without being rude.
In each of these common scenarios, the strikethrough formatting tool is your best friend. It’s that simple horizontal line drawn through text, signaling that the content is deprecated, changed, or completed while leaving it legible. If you’ve found yourself searching for how to make a strikethrough in Google Docs, you’ve come to the right place. This isn’t just about finding a button; it’s about mastering a powerful editing and collaboration technique.
What Strikethrough Formatting Really Does
Before we dive into the keystrokes and clicks, let’s understand the power of this deceptively simple tool. Strikethrough is more than a line. In the context of Google Docs, it’s a non-destructive editing mark. Unlike hitting the delete key, which removes text irrevocably (until you undo it), applying strikethrough leaves the original text in place, visually marked for review.
This makes it indispensable for collaborative workflows. Team members can see what was suggested for removal, discuss it, and either accept the change by deleting the text or reject it by removing the strikethrough formatting. It creates a transparent audit trail of edits directly within the document itself. For personal use, it’s a fantastic way to track your own revisions or create “to-do” lists where you can visibly check off items.
The Universal Shortcut: Your Fastest Method
For speed, nothing beats the keyboard shortcut. It works universally across Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, and Linux within the Google Docs interface.
First, select the text you want to strike through. You can click and drag your mouse, or use Shift plus the arrow keys. With the text highlighted, simply press the following key combination:
For Windows, Chrome OS, and Linux: Alt + Shift + 5
For Mac: Command + Shift + X
Press the shortcut once to apply the strikethrough. You’ll see the line instantly appear through your selected text. To remove it, with the same text selected, press the exact same shortcut again. It acts as a toggle. This method is ideal when your hands are already on the keyboard, allowing you to format text without interrupting your typing flow.
Using the Format Menu for Precision
If you prefer using menus or can’t remember the shortcut, the Format menu provides a clear, visual path. This method is also helpful if you need to apply multiple types of formatting at once or are new to Google Docs.
Start by selecting your target text. Then, look at the top menu bar of your Google Docs window. Click on the word “Format.” A dropdown menu will appear. Move your cursor down to “Text.” This will open a secondary submenu to the side. In that submenu, you will see the option “Strikethrough.” Click it.
The strikethrough will be applied immediately. To remove it, you would follow the same steps: select the text, go to Format > Text > Strikethrough. The checkmark next to the option indicates it’s active; clicking it will remove the checkmark and the formatting.
The Toolbar Button for Quick Access
For many users, the horizontal toolbar just below the menu bar is the primary control center. By default, the strikethrough button might not be visible. It’s often hidden in the “More” overflow menu.
Look at your toolbar. You’ll see buttons for Bold (B), Italic (I), and Underline (U). To the right of these, there is likely a button labeled “More” (it looks like an letter A with a horizontal line under it). Click this “More” button. A small pop-up toolbar will appear with additional formatting options, including the strikethrough button, which is represented by an ‘ab’ with a line through it.
Click this button to apply the format to your selected text. If you use strikethrough frequently, you can drag this pop-up toolbar away from the “More” button to dock it on your main toolbar for permanent, one-click access.
Advanced Strikethrough Techniques and Tips
Knowing how to apply the strikethrough is the first step. Using it effectively is the next. Here are some pro tips to enhance your workflow.
You can apply strikethrough to almost any text element: a single character, a word, a sentence, a whole paragraph, or even non-contiguous text. To select non-adjacent text, hold down the Ctrl key (or Command on Mac) while you click and drag to select different sections. Then, apply the strikethrough using any method above, and it will affect all selected sections.
Strikethrough formatting is preserved when you copy and paste text within Google Docs. However, if you paste that text into a plain text field like a notepad, only the raw text will be pasted, without the formatting. When pasting into another rich-text editor like Microsoft Word, the formatting usually carries over.
Using Strikethrough for Collaboration and Review
This is where strikethrough shines. When suggesting edits in a shared document, combine strikethrough with the “Suggesting” mode. Switch from “Editing” to “Suggesting” using the button in the top-right corner. Now, when you delete text, it doesn’t vanish. Instead, it gets struck through and moved to a suggestion comment in the margin. The document owner can then “Accept” or “Reject” the suggestion with a single click.
Even without Suggesting mode, you can use strikethrough manually and pair it with comments. Highlight the struck-through text, right-click, and select “Comment.” Explain why you propose removing that text. This creates a clear, linked discussion thread right next to the edit.
Troubleshooting Common Strikethrough Problems
Sometimes, the line just won’t appear, or it behaves oddly. Let’s solve those issues.
If the keyboard shortcut isn’t working, first ensure you have the correct text selected. The highlight should be visible. Second, check if you’re using the right modifier keys. On some international keyboards, the key mapping might differ slightly. Try the menu method as an alternative. Also, ensure you are not in “Viewing” mode; you must be in “Editing” or “Suggesting” mode to format text.
What if the strikethrough button is completely missing from the “More” menu? This is rare but can happen if your toolbar is heavily customized or there’s a temporary glitch. Try refreshing the browser page. You can also reset your Google Docs appearance by going to View > Mode > and ensuring “Editing” is selected.
A more subtle issue: strikethrough may not print or PDF correctly. Generally, it does. But if you’re creating a formal document where struck text must be absolutely clear, consider using a different color for the strikethrough line (which requires a different tool) or using the revision history feature to track changes instead of visual formatting.
Alternative Methods and Workarounds
While the built-in tools are best, there are creative workarounds. Need a double strikethrough for legal documents? Google Docs doesn’t have this natively. You could approximate it by adding an underline immediately below your strikethrough text, but it’s a imperfect solution.
For mobile users, the process is similar. In the Google Docs app for iOS or Android, select the text and tap the “Format” button (the letter A with a line under it). In the text formatting menu that slides up, you will find the strikethrough option among the other styles.
If you find yourself constantly switching between strikethrough and other formats, explore Google Docs add-ons. Extensions like “PerfectIt” or “Text Cleaner” can add advanced formatting panels that might streamline your process for complex documents.
Integrating Strikethrough into Your Personal System
Now that you’re an expert on the mechanics, think strategically about how to make this tool work for you. For project managers, use strikethrough in shared checklists. For writers, use it during self-edits to mark weak phrases before rewriting them. For students, use it to mark incorrect answers in study notes, keeping the mistake visible for later review.
You can even create a personal style guide for your team: “Use strikethrough for proposed deletions during the initial review phase. Use Suggesting mode for the final editing pass.” This consistency prevents confusion and makes document history much easier to follow.
Remember, the goal of strikethrough is clarity and preservation of intent. It turns a simple deletion into a communicative act. Whether you’re polishing a solo essay or coordinating a multi-department report, this small formatting tool can significantly improve the transparency and quality of your edits.
Your immediate next step is to open a Google Doc, whether a current project or a new test file, and practice. Try the shortcut. Find the menu. Dock the toolbar button. Strike through a sentence, then remove the formatting. This hands-on repetition will cement the methods in your muscle memory, ensuring that the next time you need to cross something out, you’ll do it with confidence and purpose.
