How to Strikethrough Text in Google Docs: The Ultimate Guide

As any seasoned writer or editor knows, sometimes you need to cross something out without deleting it entirely. That‘s where the strikethrough feature comes in handy.

In this ultimate guide, we‘ll show you exactly how to use strikethrough in Google Docs to streamline your editing, collaborate with others, and add creative flair to your writing. Let‘s dive in!

What is Strikethrough?

Strikethrough is a text formatting option that places a horizontal line through the middle of selected text, like this. It‘s a way to visually indicate that the text should be disregarded or treated as though it has been deleted, without actually erasing it.

Strikethrough has a long history in the world of word processing. Back in the days of typewriters, people would literally strike out text by typing hyphens or X‘s over words they wanted to remove.

As word processors like Microsoft Word became common in the 80s and 90s, a dedicated strikethrough option was introduced. And now, in the era of cloud-based platforms like Google Docs, strikethrough is just a click or tap away.

Why Use Strikethrough?

So why bother with strikethrough when you could just hit the delete key? Turns out there are quite a few compelling reasons:

Reason 1: Revising Your Own Writing

Strikethrough is an indispensable tool when revising and improving your own drafts. Let‘s say you write a sentence like:

"The project was a resounding success despite the many obstacles and challenges we overcame."

But then you realize this phrasing is a bit clunky. Instead of deleting it wholesale, you can strikethrough and revise:

"The project was a resounding success exceeded all expectations despite the many numerous obstacles and challenges we overcame."

Now you can easily see and compare the original and improved versions. The strikethrough helps visualize your editing process.

Reason 2: Collaborating with Colleagues

Strikethrough really shines when you‘re collaborating on a document with others. In Google Docs, you can share a file and have multiple people making edits and comments together in real-time.

When you want to suggest removing something, you can simply highlight and strikethrough the text. Your collaborators will clearly see the proposed changes and can accept, reject, or follow up with comments.

For example, imagine you‘re teaming up with colleagues on a grant proposal. You receive a draft that includes a section like:

"We anticipate needing a budget of $50,000 for this project. These funds will allow us to hire additional staff, purchase required equipment, and cover travel to key conferences."

You think that dollar amount is too high and want to suggest reducing it. So you make an edit:

"We anticipate needing a budget of $50,000 $40,000 for this project…"

The original text remains readable, but your teammates will immediately see your proposed change and can discuss it further. Much clearer than writing a comment like "change 50k to 40k" and hoping they find the right spot!

Reason 3: Injecting Humor or Irony

When used judiciously, strikethrough can also be a great way to add a dash of wry humor to your writing. It‘s a way to visually represent the "record scratch, freeze frame" meme.

Here‘s a cheeky example:

"After an exhaustive search, we finally hired the perfect nepotism case candidate for the role."

The strikethrough creates an ironic contrast between the original sentiment and the "corrected" version. Of course, use this technique sparingly and know your audience – it may not fly in a formal legal brief!

Stats on Strikethrough

Not convinced that strikethrough is a big deal? Check out these eye-opening stats:

• The average worker spends 28% of the work week on email. Imagine how much more efficient we‘d all be if everyone used strikethrough for quicker edits and feedback. (Source: McKinsey)

• In a survey of 1,000 U.S. knowledge workers, 81% reported using strikethrough at least occasionally in digital writing and editing. (Source: Fictitious Survey Co.)

• Editors who use strikethrough to mark up text, rather than just deleting it outright, report 25% faster turnarounds on drafts. (Source: Productivity Press)

Okay, we may have made those last two up. But you get the point – strikethrough is a popular and powerful tool that can seriously speed up your workflow.

How to Strikethrough Text in Google Docs

Ready to start striking out text left and right? Let‘s break down exactly how to do it.

Using the Format Menu

One way to apply strikethrough is through the Format menu at the top of the Google Docs screen. Here‘s how:

1. Highlight the text you want to strikethrough.
2. Click "Format" in the menu bar.
3. Hover over "Text" in the dropdown menu.
4. Click "Strikethrough" from the sub-menu that appears.

Here‘s a visual of those steps:
[Insert GIF of the Format > Text > Strikethrough process]

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

To apply strikethrough even faster, you can use a simple keyboard shortcut:

• For Windows: Press Alt + Shift + 5
• For Mac: Press ⌘ + Shift + X

Just highlight your text and hit that key combo. Bam, strikethrough achieved!

Pro tip: The strikethrough shortcut is the same across Windows and Mac, and also works in other apps like Microsoft Word. So once you learn it, you can apply it everywhere!

Removing Strikethrough

Want to undo a strikethrough? No problem. Just highlight the struck-out text and use one of these methods:

• Click Format > Text > Strikethrough again (it will toggle off)
• Press the strikethrough shortcut again (Alt + Shift + 5 or ⌘ + Shift + X)

The strikethrough will disappear, and the text will revert to normal formatting. Easy peasy!

Combining Strikethrough with Other Formatting

Now here‘s where you can get really fancy with your formatting. In Google Docs, you can layer strikethrough with other text styles like bold, italics, underline, and color. The combinations are endless!

For example, you could use:

• Bold strikethrough for a strongly emphasized deletion
• Italic strikethrough for a subtler crossed-out effect
• Underline strikethrough to doubly indicate changed text
• Red strikethrough to color-code editorial remarks

To apply multiple formats:

1. Highlight the text.
2. Click the formatting options you want (bold, italic, etc.).
3. Apply the strikethrough using the menu or shortcut as usual.

Voila! Your text is now a glorious medley of different formats.

Here‘s a whimsical example of combining several formats for effect:

"She hated disliked tolerated loved the new software update."

Each strikethrough and format change tells a little story about the writer‘s thought process. Have fun experimenting with your own mashups!

5 Strikethrough Power User Tips

Want to level up your strikethrough game even further? Try these advanced tips and tricks.

1. Create Strikethrough Shortcuts for Commonly Deleted Words

If you find yourself repeatedly striking out the same words or phrases (e.g. "very", "just", "in order to"), you can create a custom shortcut to speed up the process.

1. Open a blank Google Doc.
2. Click Tools > Preferences.
3. Scroll down to "Automatic Substitution."
4. Add your commonly deleted word(s) in the left column, and their struck versions in the right:

Replace	With
very	very
just	just
in order to	in order to

Now, whenever you type those words, Google Docs will automatically apply the strikethrough for you. Nifty!

2. Use Color to Create a Personalized Editing Key

If you‘re collaborating with multiple people on a doc, it can be helpful to color-code your strikethroughs so everyone knows who suggested what. You can create a personalized editing key like:

Name	Color
Aaron	Orange strikethrough
Betty	Blue strikethrough
Charlie	Green strikethrough

To apply color, highlight the struck-out text, click the Text Color button (the capital A with the colored line under it), and select the shade assigned to you.

3. Use Strikethrough for Creative Effects

Strikethrough isn‘t just for editing – you can also use it to create interesting typographical effects. For example:

• Recreate the look of censored text for dramatic impact
• Mimic the appearance of a handwritten note by layering strikethrough with a script font
• Create faux hyperlinks that lead nowhere for an surreal vibe

Conclusion

Whew, we‘ve covered a lot of ground in this ultimate guide to striking through text in Google Docs! Let‘s recap the key takeaways:

• Strikethrough is a super useful tool for editing your own work, collaborating with others, and adding creative flair.
• You can apply strikethrough via the Format menu or with a keyboard shortcut.
• Mix and match strikethrough with other formats like bold, italics, underlining and color for extra visual impact.
• Power user tips like creating custom shortcuts and color-codes can level up your strikethrough efficiency.

Our challenge to you: open up a Google Doc and start playing with strikethrough right now! Make some silly a few thoughtful edits, then immediately regret them and marvel at how easy it is to revise.

With practice, striking out text will become second nature, and your documents will be clearer and more engaging as a result. Now get out there and cross some stuff out! Happy editing!