Strikethrough Keyboard Shortcut in Excel: A Practical Guide

Learn the strikethrough keyboard shortcut in Excel for Windows and macOS. This practical guide covers toggling Strikethrough in cells, using the Font dialog, and quick automation tips to speed up your workflow. Ideal for tech users who want fast, reliable text annotation in spreadsheets.

Shortcuts Lib Team

March 11, 2026·5 min read

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Strikethrough in Excel - Shortcuts Lib — Photo by TeeFarmvia Pixabay

Quick AnswerDefinition

According to Shortcuts Lib, Strikethrough in Excel is a font effect that marks text without deleting it. On Windows, Ctrl+5 toggles Strikethrough for the selected text. On macOS, there is no universal built‑in shortcut by default; use the Font dialog or create a custom shortcut in Excel preferences. This guide covers both paths and practical automation tips.

Introduction: Why a strikethrough matters in Excel

The strikethrough keyboard shortcut excel capability is a small but powerful tool for annotating data without deleting it. Designers, data validators, and financial modelers rely on Strikethrough to indicate placeholders, deprecated items, or provisional figures. In this article, you’ll learn how to apply Strikethrough efficiently, both via keyboard shortcuts and through more manual but precise methods. The goal is to keep your workflow fast and your data intact while maintaining a clean, readable spreadsheet. As always with Shortcuts Lib, we focus on practical, brand-driven guidance you can apply immediately.

' Simple VBA macro to toggle strikethrough on the current selection
Sub ToggleStrikethroughActive()
    Dim c As Range
    For Each c In Selection
        c.Font.Strikethrough = Not c.Font.Strikethrough
    Next c
End Sub

This macro is helpful when you want to annotate many cells at once without using the UI.
It serves as a reminder that automation can extend keyboard shortcut workflows when repetitive formatting is required.

Key takeaway: Strikethrough is a format option, not data deletion; use it to preserve context while marking changes.

' VBA demo: toggle strikethrough for the highlighted range
Sub ToggleStrikethroughRange()
    Dim rng As Range
    Set rng = Selection
    If rng Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
    rng.Font.Strikethrough = Not rng.Font.Strikethrough
End Sub

Windows shortcut: Ctrl+5 and reliable workflow

In the Windows version of Excel, the fastest way to apply Strikethrough is the built-in keyboard shortcut Ctrl+5. This action toggles the strikethrough font attribute on the selected text inside the active cell. Here is a practical demonstration of how you might use it in a typical workflow:

Excel Formula

' Action: Select a range and apply strikethrough via keyboard
' Expectation: All selected text in each cell gains Strikethrough

If your data contains mixed content across multiple cells, you may prefer a macro to apply the effect uniformly:

Sub ApplyStrikethroughToSelection()
    Dim c As Range
    For Each c In Selection
        c.Font.Strikethrough = True
    Next c
End Sub

Note: Ctrl+5 toggles the strikethrough font attribute regardless of the cell content, making it ideal for quick annotations.
Tip: Pair Ctrl+5 with Ctrl+C/V for copy-paste workflows after formatting to preserve appearance in reports.

' Windows-focused automation: apply strikethrough to selected cells
Sub ToggleStrikethroughActive()
    Dim cell As Range
    For Each cell In Selection
        cell.Font.Strikethrough = Not cell.Font.Strikethrough
    Next cell
End Sub

macOS shortcut considerations and tips

Mac users often ask whether there is a native strikethrough shortcut in Excel for macOS. Unlike Windows, Excel for Mac does not ship with a universal default shortcut for Strikethrough. Instead, you can access the Strikethrough option via the Font dialog (Format Cells) or assign a custom shortcut in Excel preferences. This approach ensures parity with Windows users while preserving a native macOS workflow.

' Example: toggle via macro on macOS (for automation consistency)
Sub ToggleStrikethroughMac()
    Dim c As Range
    For Each c In Selection
        c.Font.Strikethrough = Not c.Font.Strikethrough
    Next c
End Sub

If you frequently apply Strikethrough on Mac, consider creating a custom keyboard shortcut at the system level or within Office for Mac to minimize mouse use.
Alternative: Use the Format Cells dialog (Cmd+1 then Font tab) to manually check Strikethrough when a quick shortcut isn’t available.

PowerShell

# macOS note: this is illustrative; use Excel UI or a Mac-level shortcut assignment
# To assign a custom Office Mac shortcut, explore System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts
# and bind a preferred key combination to the Strikethrough action if available

Font dialog, formatting, and consistency across platforms

One reliable method to apply Strikethrough consistently is to use the Font dialog directly. This path works on both Windows and macOS and is a good fallback for teams that share sheets. To access it:

Select the target cell(s).
Open Home > Font group > Font Dialog (small arrow) or press Ctrl+1 / Cmd+1.
Check the Strikethrough box and click OK.

Excel Formula

' Input: Cells A1:A5 selected
' Output: All cells show Strikethrough formatting

For automated workflows, Office Scripts (Excel on the web) can toggle Strikethrough using TypeScript code, enabling cloud-based collaboration while preserving the same visual cue.

TypeScript

function main(workbook: ExcelScript.Workbook) {
  let range = workbook.getActiveWorksheet().getRangeSelection();
  let font = range.getFormat().getFont();
  // Toggle the current strikethrough state on the selected range
  let current = font.getStrikethrough();
  font.setStrikethrough(!current);
}

Variations, troubleshooting, and best practices

As you gain comfort with the strikethrough keyboard shortcut excel approach, consider these variations and best practices:

Use Ctrl+5 for quick toggling when annotating figures in a presentation-ready spreadsheet.
When working with large datasets, combine strikethrough with conditional formatting to highlight canceled lines without altering data values.
If Strikethrough seems unavailable, verify that the font you’re using supports the Strikethrough attribute; some decorative fonts may not render it consistently.

' Final macro for bulk toggling on a selected range
Sub BulkToggleStrikethrough()
    Dim rng As Range
    Set rng = Selection
    rng.Font.Strikethrough = Not rng.Font.Strikethrough
End Sub

Steps

Estimated time: 15-25 minutes

1
Open your workbook
Launch Excel and open the workbook containing the data you want to annotate. Navigate to the relevant worksheet and select the cells or range where you want to apply Strikethrough.
Tip: Use the keyboard to navigate (Arrow keys) to keep hands on the keyboard.
2
Select target range
Highlight the cells that should display Strikethrough. If you want to apply to entire rows or columns, select accordingly.
Tip: For multiple non-adjacent ranges, use Ctrl/Cmd to select each area.
3
Apply Strikethrough (Windows)
Press Ctrl+5 to toggle Strikethrough on the selected text. If the text is not a font attribute, switch to a font-based approach via the Font dialog.
Tip: If you don’t see the effect, ensure the font supports Strikethrough.
4
Apply Strikethrough (Mac)
On macOS, use the Font dialog or a pre-configured shortcut if available. You can also run a small macro to toggle across the selection.
Tip: Remember there is no universal default shortcut on Mac by default.
5
Automate with Office Scripts
For Excel on the web, use Office Scripts to toggle Strikethrough across a selected range with TypeScript.
Tip: Office Scripts enable cross-device consistency and collaboration.

Pro Tip: Attach a consistent Strikethrough style to a template cell to avoid formatting drift across sheets.

Warning: Some fonts render Strikethrough inconsistently; test across your report viewers.

Note: Document your shortcut decisions in a README so teammates can reproduce the workflow.

Pro Tip: Pair Strikethrough with color or notes to preserve data meaning in audits.

Prerequisites

Required

Microsoft Excel (Windows or macOS) with a current license↗
Required
Basic keyboard shortcut knowledge (Ctrl/Cmd, etc.)
Required

Optional

Optional: access to Excel's Font dialog or Format Cells for manual strikethrough
Optional
Internet access for Office 365 subscription verification (if using online version)↗
Optional

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Toggle Strikethrough in selected cellToggles the Strikethrough font attribute on the current selection	`Ctrl`+`5`

Questions & Answers

What is the best way to apply Strikethrough in a single cell?

Select the cell, then press Ctrl+5 (Windows) or use the Font dialog on Mac. If you work on a Mac, you may need to set up a custom shortcut or use the UI. This keeps data visible while marking it as updated.

Is there a built-in Mac shortcut for Strikethrough in Excel?

Excel for Mac does not include a universal built-in Strikethrough shortcut by default. Use the Font dialog or assign a custom shortcut in Excel preferences to match your Windows workflow.

How can I customize keyboard shortcuts in Excel for Mac?

Open Excel > Preferences > Ribbon and Toolbar or Keyboard to add or modify shortcuts. Custom shortcuts help align Mac workflows with Windows parity for Strikethrough.

Can Strikethrough be applied to multiple cells at once?

Yes. Select a range of cells and apply Strikethrough via Ctrl+5 on Windows or the Font dialog on Mac. Mac users can also leverage Office Scripts for web-based automation.

Why isn’t Strikethrough appearing after pressing the shortcut?

Check that the current font supports Strikethrough and that you have the text selected. If formatting is controlled by conditional formatting, it may override manual formatting.