Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 3, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
One of the character formats you can use within Word is referred to as Strikethrough. This simply means that Word shows a horizontal line through the middle of the character to which the attribute has been applied. Strikethrough can be applied either by clicking on the Strikethrough tool on the Home tab of the ribbon (in the Font group) or by choosing the Strikethrough check box on the Font tab of the Font dialog box (Ctrl+D).
A typical use for characters being struck through is in relation to the Track Changes feature of Word. With Track Changes turned on, characters that have been deleted are shown as struck through, although this depends on which view of your document view you are using. The characters that have been deleted may also be shown in a red font color in addition to shown as struck through, depending on which version of Word you are using.
Actually, Word has two types of strikethrough formatting. You can specify that something be struck through once or you can choose a double strikethrough. This latter character format, which uses two horizontal lines instead of one, must be applied from the Font tab of the Font dialog box. Simply make sure the Double Strikethrough check box is selected.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8061) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Understanding Strikethrough Formatting.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
You can easily use Find and Replace to find text that has a particular format to it. Most people don't know you can use ...
Discover MoreApplying bold and italics formatting to text is easy in Word. If you want to apply bold and italics simultaneously, you ...
Discover MoreNeed to change the color you previously used to highlight text in your document? You can use Word's Find and Replace tool ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2019-09-05 16:42:43
Jay
The font version of strikethrough is totally unrelated to the Track Changes strikethrough in that you cannot change the advanced mark-up options (under Tracking > Advanced Options) of the font version, nor can you accept all changes and expect the font strikethrough to be removed.
2019-08-31 06:05:13
Øystein
Or by ctrl+5
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments