Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Using Strikethrough Formatting.

Using Strikethrough Formatting

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 26, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


One of the character formats you can use within Excel is referred to as strikethrough. This simply means that Excel shows a horizontal line through the middle of the character (or characters) to which the attribute has been applied. Strikethrough can be applied in this manner:

  1. Select the cell whose contents you want struck through, or select the characters within a cell, if you don't want them all struck through.
  2. Press Ctrl+1 to display the Format Cells dialog box.
  3. Make sure the Font tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Font tab of the Format Cells dialog box.

  5. Select the Strikethrough check box.
  6. Click OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3305) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Using Strikethrough Formatting.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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