Strikethrough in Word places a horizontal line through selected text, with both single and double line options available from the Home tab.
Crossing out text in Word is one of the quickest formatting actions you can take once you know how to draw a line through text in Word — the strikethrough button sits right on the Home tab. Whether you need a single line for draft edits or a double line for legal markups, the feature takes about two seconds to apply once you know where to look.
Drawing A Line Through Word Text: Two Routes That Work
Word gives you two distinct ways to draw a line through text, and each serves a slightly different purpose. The single strikethrough is the go-to for everyday editing, while double strikethrough appears more often in contract revisions and academic proofing.
For a single line: select the text you want to cross out, then go to the Home tab and click the Strikethrough button in the Font group — it looks like the letters “abc” with a line drawn through them. The line appears immediately through everything you selected.
For a double line: select the text, go to the Home tab, and click the small arrow (the Font dialog launcher) in the bottom-right corner of the Font group. In the Font dialog box, switch to the Font tab if it isn’t already selected, then check Double strikethrough in the Effects section. Click OK, and two lines appear through the text. Microsoft’s official support page confirms this workflow for the double strikethrough option.
What Keyboard Shortcuts Work For Strikethrough?
Word doesn’t include a dedicated default keyboard shortcut that directly applies strikethrough in a single keystroke, but several shortcuts get you to the setting quickly.
On Windows, pressing Ctrl+D opens the Font dialog box, where you can select either single or double strikethrough. The same shortcut on Mac is Cmd+D. On a Mac, you also have a direct option: Command+Shift+X applies single strikethrough to selected text without needing the dialog.
If you use strikethrough often, you can assign your own custom shortcut through Word’s keyboard customization panel. A commonly suggested option on Windows is Ctrl+Alt+Minus — easy to reach and unlikely to conflict with existing shortcuts.
How Do You Remove Strikethrough From Word Text?
Removing strikethrough is as fast as applying it, but the method differs depending on which type you used.
For single strikethrough, select the crossed-out text and click the Strikethrough button on the Home tab again. The feature is a toggle: the same button that turns it on turns it off.
For double strikethrough, select the text, then go to the Home tab and click the Strikethrough button twice. A single click switches the double line to a single line; the second click removes it entirely.
| Feature | Single Strikethrough | Double Strikethrough |
|---|---|---|
| How to apply | Home > Font > Strikethrough button | Home > Font dialog > Font tab > Double strikethrough |
| Number of lines | One horizontal line | Two horizontal lines |
| Removal method | Click Strikethrough button again | Click Strikethrough twice in Font group |
| Keyboard access | No default shortcut; Cmd+Shift+X on Mac | Open Font dialog via Ctrl+D (Win) or Cmd+D (Mac) |
| Visual weight | Light, standard deletion marker | Heavy, emphatic deletion marker |
| Typical use case | Draft editing, peer review markups | Legal documents, final approval strikes |
| Risk of accidental application | Low — button is visible and labeled | Higher — hidden in dialog box; easy to miss |
How To Select Text Cleanly Before Strikethrough
A strikethrough is only useful if the right text is crossed out. The most common mistake is dragging a mouse across text and accidentally grabbing the space after the last word.
A cleaner method: click at the start of the text you want to format, then hold Shift and click at the end. This selects exactly what sits between the two clicks, with no trailing spaces. If you need to strike through multiple non-consecutive sections, hold Ctrl while selecting each chunk of text — though tackling one paragraph at a time is easier to manage.
| Mistake | Why It Happens | The Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Extra spaces highlighted | Drag-selecting past the last word | Shift-click at the start and end of the exact text |
| Double line won’t clear | Clicked Strikethrough once instead of twice | Select and click Strikethrough button twice |
| Strikethrough button seems missing | Ribbon collapsed in a small window | Expand the Font group or open Font dialog via Ctrl+D |
| Wrong text gets the line | Selection shifted before the click | Verify text is highlighted before pressing Strikethrough |
| Line looks faint or gray | Text color is set to a light shade or gray | Change font color to black or a darker tone |
| Mac shortcut does nothing | Pressing the wrong key combination | Use Cmd+Shift+X for single strikethrough or Cmd+D for the Font dialog |
| Formatting lost when pasting | Paste operation strips Word formatting | Use Paste Special or paste into Notepad first, then reformat |
Strikethrough In Word: The Step Sequence For Both Line Types
For a single line through text: select the exact text using Shift-click, go to Home > Font, and click the Strikethrough button. The line appears immediately. To remove it, select the same text and click the button again.
For a double line through text: select the text, go to Home and open the Font dialog launcher, choose Double strikethrough on the Font tab, and click OK. To remove it, select the text and click the Strikethrough button twice.
The whole process takes ten seconds once you know the ribbon. No extra tools, no workarounds — just the formatting controls already built into Word.
References & Sources
- Microsoft Support. “Apply or remove strikethrough text formatting.” Covers single and double strikethrough in the Word ribbon and Font dialog.
- How-To Geek. “How to Draw a Line Through Words in Microsoft Word.” Provides keyboard customization and selection tips for strikethrough.
- Adobe Acrobat. “How to strikethrough in Word.” Notes the Mac shortcut Command+Shift+X for single strikethrough.