Strikethrough Shortcut Excel

What this does

The Strikethrough shortcut is Ctrl+5 on Windows and ⌘+Shift+X on Mac. Use it when you need to apply strikethrough, then inspect the result before continuing. The visible effect depends on the named command and the active workbook. Before you run it on a workbook other people depend on, try it on a copy or a few rows first. Undo only reaches back through the current session, so a quick trial run is the cheapest way to see exactly what will change before the file is saved and shared. Treat “strikethrough shortcut excel” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected cells shows up while it is still harmless. When this is a ribbon command, the selection matters more than the button: confirm the range, apply the command, then spot-check the output before saving. That turns a workflow that saves repeating the same clicks every week into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.

A worked example

In practice: Cell B2 needs strikethrough. Select B2, use the shortcut, and inspect the cell formatting before applying it elsewhere. If the outcome is not the intended Strikethrough effect, stop and inspect the selection or workbook state before trying again. The Strikethrough shortcut is useful when you need to apply strikethrough while keeping the workbook in view. Check the effect of Ctrl+5 before continuing; some commands change content, while others only change what Excel shows. If this is something you do often, add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar (right-click it on the ribbon and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar) or learn its shortcut, so next time it is one click instead of a hunt through the menus.

In Google Sheets

This is a command rather than a formula, so there is no syntax to carry over. Google Sheets arranges its commands in menus across the top instead of a ribbon, names some of them differently and does not have every Excel command — look for the equivalent in the Sheets menus or its help before assuming the steps match. Nothing on this page is behind a login or a download: the exact answer is at the top, and the detail below it is there for when you need it. That is the whole promise here — the answer first, and just enough context to make it stick. If you take one thing from this page on “strikethrough shortcut excel”, make it the order of checks rather than the individual clicks: confirm what is selected, apply the step, and look at the result before moving on. That small routine is what keeps Excel work predictable when the same task comes back in a slightly different workbook.

Common mistakes

• Pressing the wrong modifier: Ctrl+5 is the Windows combo; on Mac the equivalent is ⌘+Shift+X. Pressing the Windows combo on Mac often does nothing or triggers a different command.
• Selecting a row header for a command that works on the active sheet or workbook instead of a row.
• Assuming every shortcut modifies cells: view toggles and dialogs need a different result check from edits.

Frequently asked questions