How to Strikethrough Text in Google Docs

Strikethrough draws a line through text without deleting it, useful for showing a change or crossing off a finished item. The button is not on the default toolbar, but the menu and a keyboard shortcut both reach it.

Select the text

Click and drag over the words to cross out. Double-click selects a word and triple-click selects a paragraph. To strike out everything, press Ctrl + A (Mac: Cmd + A).

Open the Format menu

Click Format, hover Text, then click Strikethrough. A line appears through the selection.

Or press the shortcut

With the text selected, press Alt + Shift + 5 (Mac: Cmd + Shift + X). If the cursor is placed without a selection, the shortcut turns strikethrough on for whatever you type next; press it again to turn it off.

Remove the strikethrough

Select the crossed-out text and repeat either method: Format, Text, Strikethrough, or the shortcut. Strikethrough is a toggle, so the same command removes it. To strip strikethrough along with bold, italics, and colors in one go, press *Ctrl + * (Mac: **Cmd + **), which clears all formatting from the selection.

Use Suggesting mode for tracked deletions

If the goal is to show a reviewer what you removed, switch to Suggesting instead of striking text by hand. Click the pencil icon at the right end of the toolbar and choose Suggesting, or click View, Mode, Suggesting. Deleted text is then shown crossed out in color, and the owner can accept or reject each change from the comment that appears in the margin.

For a to-do list. A checklist strikes items through on its own. Click Format, Bullets & numbering, Checklist, type the items, and tick a box to cross that line out.

In the mobile app. Select the text, tap the format icon (the A with lines beside it), and on the Text tab tap the S with a line through it. Tap it again to remove the strikethrough.