How To Strikethrough On Google Slides: Complete Formatting Guide
Applying a strikethrough line to text in Google Slides is a fundamental editing skill required for updating presentations, showing completed checklist items, or editing collaborative slides. You can instantly activate this formatting via the top format menu, a quick keyboard shortcut, or the toolbar when using a compatible browser or desktop app.
Pre-Operation and Presentation Setup
- Brief practical context on foundational setup, required equipment/gear, and scope.
- Essential tools and materials: Access to Google Workspace via Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or the official Google Slides mobile application.
- Mandatory prerequisite knowledge and standards: Basic understanding of text block selection, cursor placement within rich text editors, and familiarity with web browser shortcut structures.
- Estimated budget and duration benchmarks: Zero cost (free software) with an execution duration of under five seconds per text element.
Step-by-Step Strikethrough Execution in Google Slides
Step 1: Open Your Presentation and Select the Target Text
Navigate to drive.google.com, open your target Google Slides deck, and locate the specific slide containing the text you wish to alter. Click inside the text box to activate the editing cursor. Highlight the exact words, phrases, or full sentences you want to modify by clicking and dragging your cursor across the text.
Pro-Tip: If you need to strikethrough an entire text box, click the outer boundary of the bounding box itself rather than highlighting individual characters inside. Applying formatting to the parent box applies the rule to all child text elements uniformly.
Step 2: Apply the Strikethrough Formatting Command
With your text highlighted, navigate to the horizontal menu bar located near the top of the browser window. Click on the Format menu option to drop down the formatting directory. Hover over the Text sub-menu category to reveal deep typography options, and then click directly on Strikethrough to instantly draw a horizontal line through your selected text.
Warning: Avoid confusing a strikethrough with an underline or highlight format. If you accidentally apply an underline, press the undo command immediately or re-navigate to the format menu to toggle the incorrect style off before applying the strikethrough.
Step 3: Utilize Keyboard Shortcuts for Rapid Editing
If you are processing high-volume text modifications across multiple presentation slides, bypass the drop-down menus entirely by using native keyboard shortcuts. Highlight your target text and press Control + Shift + X on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command + Shift + X on macOS. The strikethrough effect will apply instantly without breaking your keyboard workflow speed.
How to do strikethrough in Google Slides
Typography Formatting Methods Compared
| Formatting Method | Operating System Shortcut | Menu Navigation Path | Primary Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu Selection | None (Mouse Required) | Format > Text > Strikethrough | Beginners, infrequent editors, or touchscreens |
| Keyboard Shortcut | Ctrl + Shift + X (Win) / Cmd + Shift + X (Mac) | N/A (Direct execution) | Power users, rapid editing, high-volume formatting |
| Toolbar Customization | Dependent on Add-on/Extension | Extensions > Add-ons | Automated workflows, enterprise template styling |
Common Text Formatting Failures and Field Fixes
- Root Cause: Attempting to apply a strikethrough while the text box is merely selected by its outer bounding border instead of having the internal text cursor actively highlighting characters.
- Actionable Fix: Double-click inside the text box to enter active text-editing mode, highlight the specific string of text, and then re-apply the formatting command or shortcut.
- Root Cause: Browser extensions or custom corporate keyboard shortcut managers overriding default Google Workspace keybindings like Command or Control + Shift + X.
- Actionable Fix: Disable conflicting third-party browser extensions, or rely on the Format menu dropdown path to execute the typography change manually.
- Root Cause: Pasting text copied from external software (such as Microsoft Word or a PDF) that carries locked, overriding inline CSS or proprietary font styling parameters.
- Actionable Fix: Highlight the problematic text, navigate to Format in the top menu, and select Clear Formatting (or use Ctrl + Space / Cmd + Space) to strip out conflicting styles before applying your strikethrough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I strikethrough text on the Google Slides mobile app?
The native mobile apps for iOS and Android have limited rich-text formatting menus compared to desktop browsers. While viewing presentations is seamless, applying advanced typography like strikethroughs directly on a smartphone often requires opening Google Slides within a mobile browser set to desktop mode.
Does the strikethrough shortcut work on all web browsers?
Yes, the Command + Shift + X and Control + Shift + X shortcuts function universally across all major modern web browsers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari when running Google Slides.
How do I remove a strikethrough from text?
To remove the strikethrough effect, simply highlight the affected text using the exact same cursor selection method and re-execute the toggle command. You can press the same keyboard shortcut or navigate back through Format to Text to Strikethrough to clear the line.
Can I format only part of a word with a strikethrough?
Yes, Google Slides allows character-level rich text editing. By carefully highlighting only specific letters or syllables within a word, you can apply a strikethrough to that precise subset while leaving the remainder of the word entirely normal.
Master Your Presentation Workflow Today
Streamline your slide creation process by mastering these keyboard shortcuts and formatting options to deliver polished, professional presentations every time. Explore our advanced resource library for more expert tips on optimizing your Google Workspace productivity.
