Strikethrough text in Google Docs is a function that’s commonly used to show updated ideas or add emphasis.
It’s a useful feature too — as long as you know how to use it in your document.
What is a strikethrough, you ask?
The strikethrough feature is a style choice on a word processor like Microsoft Word or Google Sheets that allows you to cross out certain words. The words will still be visible to the reader.
Writers can think of the strikethrough effect as another text choice to use in their document.
Writers already have different ways to make text stand out. They can add font variations, a different background color, or even make text bold, italic or add a superscript or subscript.
Now, they can add a strikethrough, too.
But, the strikethrough function isn’t always listed in an obvious place in the toolbar, especially if you’re using Google Docs.
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Getting a handle on using the strikethrough function is pretty easy, actually. It just involves memorizing keyboard shortcuts or nested folders in the Google Docs toolbar menus.
Before we dive in, though, let’s go through some different scenarios when the strikethrough option would be good for use.
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Table of Contents
Why Writers Use the Strikethrough Text Option
The strikethrough text option is another tool writers have in their toolkit.
But when is it good to use it?
The main function of the strikethrough text option is to capture the reader’s attention, I mean, show a progression of evolving ideas. It’s similar to how brands use a combination of colors to draw more eyes.
Think of it like a storytelling or narrative device that your favorite author from MasterClass might use. It’s a very simple way to instantly add personality.
You might also see strikethrough text when reading articles online from a news outlet. This indicates that a portion of the text was revised after the original was already posted.
If this happens, media outlets will add a note to the article to indicate that revisions have been made and leave the original text with a strikethrough.
According to Florian Berg, CEO and author at IT.VPNwelt.com , in some cases, it’s useful if the writer believes that it’s important for the reader to see two conflicting yet complementary ideas. These ideas may seem to evolve in real-time.
Strikethroughs can make the writing more personal, as if it is a fluid train of thought from the writer to the page.
This is a useful formatting option if you’re a blogger who likes making sassy comments or if you love to feel the rush of a crossed off to-do list.
Be prepared, though. Just because you’re striking text out, doesn’t mean it’s lost on the reader.
Readers’ eyes will be drawn to text that has the strikethrough effect option displayed. That’s why writers use it to add emphasis to the words that have the strikethrough effect on them and also the text that follows.
Now that you know why you should use strikethroughs, let’s break down how you can add it to your next document.
Strikethrough Keyboard Shortcut in Google Docs
So, how do you strikethrough text in Google Docs? The TL; DR version:
MacOS Keyboard Shortcut: Highlight the word or phrase you want to strikethrough and push Command + Shift + X. Double-check that your highlighted text now has a line through it.
Windows and Linux Keyboard Shortcut: Highlight the word or phrase you want to strikethrough and push Alt + Shift + 5. Double-check that your highlighted text now has a line through it. It’s important to note that you need to press Alt and not Ctrl — most people get those two commands confused!
How to Strikethrough Text in Google Docs from the Toolbar
So, you want to add strikethrough text in your writing — maybe you want to fix a mistake or voice how you really feel about something.
Whatever the case, striking through text is easy to do. In this section, we’ll walk you through how to strikethrough text in Google Docs step-by-step.
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Step 1: Open Your Document
If you haven’t already, be sure to log in to Google Drive and open the Google Doc that has the text you want to strikethrough.
Step 2: Highlight the Text
Click and drag your mouse over the text you want to strikethrough to highlight it. To highlight an entire paragraph, triple-click anywhere inside the paragraph. You can also click at the beginning of a sentence, then hold down the ‘Shift’ key and press the ‘Down’ arrow.
Step 3: Format the Text
Click ‘Format’ from the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Step 4: Select the Strikethrough Option
From the drop-down menu, hover over ‘Text’ and click ‘Strikethrough.’
Step 5: Double-Check Your Text
Once you’ve followed the steps above, double-check that your highlighted text has a line through it. If there’s a line through your text, you’ve successfully deployed the strikethrough command in your Google Doc.
How to Strikethrough Text in Google Docs on Mobile
If you’re writing on the go, you can easily add strikethrough text to your Google Docs from your mobile device. The steps are a little different, but it’s just as easy to do so.
Download the Google Docs app from either the App Store for iOS devices or Google Play for Android devices if you don’t have these apps already. Then follow this step-by-step walkthrough to add strikethrough text to your Google Doc on mobile.
Step 1: Open Your Document
Once you’re logged in, open the Google Doc you want to add strikethrough text by simply tapping on it.
Step 2: Highlight the Text
Double-tap a word and drag the blue markers that appear to select more text.
Step 3: Format the Text
Next, tap the ‘Format’ button as indicated below.
Step 4: Select the Strikethrough Option
After tapping the ‘Format’ button, you’ll see new options to customize the text. Then simply tap the strikethrough button as indicated below.
Step 5: Double-Check Your Text
After following the steps above, the text you selected should now have a line through it.
Strikethrough Text in Google Docs — FAQs
How do you undo strikethrough text in Google Docs?
Highlight the text that you want to undo strikethrough text on. Then click on ‘Format’ in the toolbar at the top, hover over ‘Text,’ and click ‘Strikethrough.’ You can also keyboard shortcuts to undo strikethrough text much faster. If you’re using MacOS, the keyboard shortcut is Command + Shift + X. If you’re on Windows or Linux, the keyboard shortcut is Alt + Shift + 5. If you’re on mobile, highlight the text and tap the ‘Format’ button at the top. Then tap the ‘Strikethrough’ button.
How do you strikethrough text in Google Sheets?
Open the Google Sheet that you want to add strikethrough text to. Select a cell by simply clicking on it. Then click on ‘Format’ the top and click the ‘Strikethrough’ formatting option. You can also click on a cell and click the ‘Strikethrough’ button found in the toolbar.
Note that the same keyboard shortcuts to add strikethrough text in Google Docs also work in Google Sheets (Command + Shift + X for MacOS and Alt + Shift + 5 for Windows or Linux).
What does it mean to strikethrough text?
Strikethrough text can have different meanings. Some people use strikethrough text to cross out a mistake, but may choose to leave the original text for transparency. Others may use it to voice their true opinions or convey humor in their writing (e.g., “These annoying kids never leave me alone”). How you decide to use strikethrough text is really up to you. But if you’re writing for a major news outlet, then strikethrough text will likely be limited to revisions.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, adding strikethrough text in Google Docs is extremely easy to do — you can change text formatting options from the ‘Format’ and ‘Text’ menu or use a simple keyboard shortcut whether you’re a Mac or a Windows user.
With strikethrough text, you can update existing articles and still leave the original text or you can use it in a more playful manner. But as with any formatting option, you’ll want to use strikethrough text sparingly. Otherwise, it’ll lose its effect if you use it too much.
Google Docs is a powerful writing tool. It offers features like auto saving, real-time collaboration, version tracking, and much more.
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Want tips on more of Google Doc’s functionality? Check out Using Google Docs: The Ultimate Guide.
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