If you have ever needed to mark text as finished, corrected, or no longer valid without deleting it, crossing out in Google Docs is the feature you are looking for. Crossing out in Google Docs, better known as strikethrough, draws a clean horizontal line through selected words while leaving them fully readable, so your reader can see what changed and why. Crossing out in Google Docs is one of the most useful formatting tools in the app, yet many people never learn the shortcut for it, and instead waste time hunting through menus every time they need it. This guide covers every way to apply crossing out in Google Docs, including the keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Mac, and Chromebook, the menu method, the toolbar method, and how to remove strikethrough just as quickly.
Strikethrough is used far more widely than most people realise. Editors use it to show suggested deletions in a draft, teachers use it to mark corrections on student work, project managers use it to cross completed items off a shared task list, and writers use it to keep old wording visible while they test a better version. Because the original text stays on the page, crossing out in Google Docs preserves the history of a document in a way that deleting never can. Once you know the shortcut, applying it takes less than a second, and it quickly becomes one of those small skills that makes everyday document work noticeably faster.
What Is Crossing Out in Google Docs?
Crossing out in Google Docs means applying strikethrough formatting: a line drawn straight through the middle of the selected text. The words remain legible, which is exactly the point. Unlike deleting, which erases information permanently, strikethrough communicates that something has been removed, replaced, or completed, while keeping a visible record of what was there before. That record is valuable in collaborative documents, where several people may need to see and agree on a change before it becomes final.
Crossing out in Google Docs works on any text in a document: single words, whole sentences, paragraphs, list items, and even headings. It can be combined with other formatting, such as bold or italics, and it can be applied and removed as often as you like without affecting the underlying words. It is also distinct from underlining, which draws a line beneath text to emphasise it, and from highlighting, which changes the background colour behind text. If you want to learn more about highlighting text efficiently, see our guide to keyboard shortcuts for highlighting text, which pairs naturally with this strikethrough guide.
The Shortcut for Crossing Out in Google Docs
The fastest way to apply crossing out in Google Docs is the built-in keyboard shortcut. On Windows and Chromebook, select the text you want to cross out and press Alt, Shift, and the number 5 key together (Alt + Shift + 5). On a Mac, select the text and press Command, Shift, and X together (Command + Shift + X). The line appears instantly through the selected text. Pressing the same shortcut again on the same selection removes the strikethrough, so the shortcut works as a toggle in both directions.
There are a few details worth knowing so the shortcut works first time. First, you must select the text before pressing the shortcut; if nothing is selected, the shortcut will apply to whatever you type next, which can be confusing. Second, on some keyboards and browser setups, Alt + Shift + 5 may conflict with a browser or system shortcut, in which case the menu method below is a reliable fallback. Third, the Mac shortcut uses Command + Shift + X, which is easy to remember because X suggests crossing something out. Practise the shortcut a few times on a test document and it will quickly become automatic.
Shortcut Summary
| Device | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Alt + Shift + 5 | Select text first, then press all three keys |
| Chromebook | Alt + Shift + 5 | Same as Windows in the Chrome browser |
| Mac | Command + Shift + X | Works as a toggle to add or remove strikethrough |
| Any device | Format menu, then Text, then Strikethrough | Reliable fallback if a shortcut conflicts |
Crossing Out in Google Docs Using the Menu
If you prefer menus, or if the keyboard shortcut does not work on your setup, crossing out in Google Docs is also available through the Format menu. Select the text you want to cross out, click Format in the top menu bar, hover over Text, and then click Strikethrough. The line appears through your selection immediately. To remove it, select the same text and repeat the steps; the checkmark next to Strikethrough in the menu tells you the formatting is currently applied.
The menu method is slower than the shortcut, but it has two advantages. It is discoverable, meaning new users can find it without memorising anything, and it works identically on every device and browser, so it is the method to teach someone who is using Google Docs for the first time. It is also the method to use when you are working on an unfamiliar computer where custom keyboard settings might interfere with shortcuts.
Adding Strikethrough to the Toolbar
Google Docs does not show a strikethrough button on the default toolbar, which is one reason so many users assume the feature does not exist. You can, however, make it more accessible. One option is to use the Format menu method until the shortcut becomes habit. Another is to remember that Google Docs keeps recently used formatting in mind: once you apply strikethrough, the quickest route back to it is the same shortcut or menu path. Power users often combine strikethrough with the paint format tool, which copies formatting from one selection to another. Select already-struck-through text, click the paint roller icon in the toolbar, and then drag over new text to apply the same formatting, including the line through it.
For documents where strikethrough is used constantly, such as an editing checklist or a shared to-do list, consider building the habit around the shortcut rather than the toolbar. A single key combination, practised a dozen times, beats hunting through menus hundreds of times over the life of a long project. If you work with spreadsheets as well as documents, similar shortcut habits pay off there too; our guide to counting cells with text in Google Sheets shows how small formula and shortcut skills compound across Google Workspace.
Crossing Out in Google Docs on Mobile
On the Google Docs mobile app for Android and iPhone, there is no keyboard shortcut, but strikethrough is still easy to apply. Open the document, double-tap to select a word or drag the handles to select a passage, then tap the Format icon (the letter A with lines beside it) in the toolbar. In the Text section, tap the strikethrough button, marked with an S crossed by a line. Tap it again on selected text to remove the formatting. The steps are the same on both platforms, with only minor differences in where the Format icon sits on smaller screens.
Crossing out in Google Docs on mobile is best kept for quick edits. For long editing sessions, switching to a computer gives you the shortcut, a larger selection area, and easier navigation through a long document. That said, knowing the mobile method means you can approve an edit, cross out a completed task, or mark a correction from your phone without waiting until you are back at a desk, which keeps collaborative documents moving.
How to Remove Crossing Out in Google Docs
Removing strikethrough is exactly as easy as applying it. Select the crossed-out text and press the same shortcut again: Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows or Chromebook, or Command + Shift + X on Mac. Alternatively, use Format, then Text, then Strikethrough to toggle it off. If you want to remove all formatting from a selection, including bold, italics, and strikethrough at once, select the text and press Ctrl + Backslash on Windows or Command + Backslash on Mac, or choose Format, then Clear formatting. Clearing formatting is a useful reset when pasted text arrives with unwanted styling.
A common frustration is strikethrough that seems to persist on new text you type. This happens when your cursor sits inside already-struck-through text: new typing inherits the formatting around it. The fix is simple. Move your cursor just past the crossed-out passage, toggle strikethrough off with the shortcut, and then type. If the line keeps appearing, select the new text and toggle it off directly. Understanding that formatting follows the cursor position solves most mysterious formatting problems in Google Docs.
Practical Uses for Crossing Out in Google Docs
Strikethrough earns its place in everyday documents in several distinct ways. In editing and proofreading, it shows deletions transparently, so an author can accept or reject each change with full context. In task lists, crossing out completed items gives a satisfying visual record of progress while keeping the finished tasks visible for review. In pricing or planning documents, it marks superseded figures or options without erasing the history behind a decision. In study notes, crossing out a wrong answer while keeping it visible helps you remember the mistake and avoid repeating it.
It is worth knowing when not to use strikethrough as well. In a final, published document, crossed-out text can look unfinished or confusing to readers who were not part of the editing process. For finished work, accept the deletions and delete the text properly. Similarly, strikethrough should not be used to hide sensitive information: the text underneath remains readable and searchable, so anything that must truly be removed should be deleted, not crossed out. Used in the right context, though, crossing out in Google Docs is a precise communication tool, not just decoration.
Frequently Asked Questions About Crossing Out in Google Docs
Why is the strikethrough shortcut not working?
The most common causes are no text being selected, a browser extension or system shortcut claiming the same keys, or a keyboard layout where the number 5 key behaves differently. Try the Format menu method first to confirm the feature works, then test the shortcut again with a clear selection. Restarting the browser also resolves most one-off shortcut conflicts.
Should I use strikethrough or just delete the text?
Use strikethrough while a change is still under discussion or while you want a visible record of what changed. Delete once the change is agreed and final. In shared documents, strikethrough plus a comment explaining the change is often the clearest approach.
Does strikethrough show when I print or download the document?
Yes. Strikethrough is part of the document formatting, so it appears in printed copies, PDF downloads, and Word exports. Check a preview before printing a document that contains editing marks, so crossed-out draft text does not reach your final audience by accident.
Conclusion
Crossing out in Google Docs is a small feature with an outsized effect on how clearly you can edit, review, and manage documents. Learn the shortcut for your device, Alt + Shift + 5 on Windows and Chromebook or Command + Shift + X on Mac, keep the Format menu method as a fallback, and use strikethrough deliberately: to show deletions in drafts, to mark completed tasks, and to preserve the history of a decision. With that habit in place, your documents will be easier to review, easier to trust, and faster to finish.
