How to Strikethrough Text in Outlook Emails

To strikethrough text in Outlook, select the words in your email and choose Strikethrough in the message formatting controls. In classic Outlook for Windows, choose Format Text > Font > Strikethrough; in new Outlook, choose Format text > Strikethrough. On Mac, select the text and press Shift + Command + X.

Use the steps for your Outlook version, since the controls differ between apps. Compose in HTML when using classic Outlook, because plain text prevents strikethrough formatting.

Strikethrough text in classic Outlook for Windows

In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, or Outlook LTSC 2024 for Windows, create an email or open a reply. Click inside the message body, select the words, and choose Format Text > Font > Strikethrough. To remove the line, select the affected text and choose Strikethrough again.

For the dialog route, select your message text and press Ctrl + Shift + P to open Font. Under Effects, check Strikethrough and select OK. For two lines, select Double strikethrough instead and select OK.

You can remove either effect through the same dialog. Select the formatted text, reopen Font, uncheck the corresponding Strikethrough or Double strikethrough checkbox, and select OK.

Cross out text in new Outlook or on the web

In new Outlook for Windows, compose an email or reply and highlight the words you want to format. Select Format text > Strikethrough. Microsoft says new Outlook has no dedicated strikethrough keyboard shortcut, so use the formatting button.

In Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 Outlook on the web in a desktop browser, compose a message and select your text. If the formatting toolbar is hidden, select Show formatting options, then choose Strikethrough in the formatting controls. The placement varies by layout, so look within those controls rather than relying on a fixed overflow-menu path.

Apply strikethrough in Outlook for Mac

In current Outlook for Mac, including Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac and Outlook 2024 for Mac, select the text in your email body. Press Shift + Command + X to apply strikethrough. You can also select the words and choose Strikethrough from the composing toolbar.

If the toolbar button is missing, open See more items > Customize Toolbar. Drag Strikethrough into the toolbar and select Done.

Fix formatting by switching to HTML

Plain-text composition prevents strikethrough formatting. In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024, select Pop Out if necessary, then choose Format Text > HTML. Select your words and apply Strikethrough after changing the message format.

To make HTML the default in those classic Outlook versions, open File > Options > Mail. Under Compose messages, set Compose messages in this format to HTML and select OK.

For new Outlook for Windows, open Settings > Mail > Compose and reply. Under Message format, choose HTML and select Save. You still need to select the text and apply Strikethrough afterward.

Set up faster access and default formatting

In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, or Outlook LTSC 2024 for Windows, you can add a persistent button to the Quick Access Toolbar. In a message window, open Format Text, right-click Strikethrough, and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar. Afterward, select your message text and click the added button.

For keyboard access, press Alt, then press the letter or number displayed for that button. Its Key Tip depends on its toolbar position, so follow the displayed value.

To add a custom ribbon group in those versions, right-click an empty ribbon area and select Customize the Ribbon. Select the destination tab and choose New Group. Under Choose commands from, select All Commands, select Strikethrough, then select Add and OK. Select your message text and use the resulting button.

You can also change the default Outlook font and make strikethrough automatic in those classic Outlook versions. Open File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts > Personal Stationery. Under New mail messages, select Font, check Strikethrough under Effects, and select OK three times.

Configure Replying or forwarding messages separately if you want the same default for replies and forwards. To remove the default effect, return to the corresponding Font dialog and uncheck Strikethrough.

Reuse crossed out text and formatting

In classic Outlook, new Outlook, Outlook.com, or Outlook Web App, select text that already has strikethrough. Choose Message > Clipboard > Format Painter, then drag across the destination text. To format multiple selections, double-click Format Painter before applying it and press Esc when finished.

In classic Outlook, you can instead select the formatted text and press Ctrl + Shift + C. Select the destination text and press Ctrl + Shift + V to apply the copied formatting.

With a compatible Word installation, you can prepare text for classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024 for Windows. In Word, select the text, choose Home > Strikethrough, and copy it. Paste into an HTML Outlook message using Keep Source Formatting.

To preserve that paste behavior by default, open File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Advanced. Under Cut, copy, and paste, set Pasting from other programs to Keep Source Formatting.

To save a passage in classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024, first apply strikethrough and select it in a popped-out draft. Choose Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery, then name and save it. Alternatively, choose Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText > Save Selection to AutoText Gallery.

For a whole message you send repeatedly, create an email template in Outlook after formatting the text. In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024, choose File > Save As, set Save as type to Outlook Template, name it, and select Save. Reopen it through New Items > More Items > Choose Form, then select User Templates in File System under Look In.

In new Outlook or Outlook on the web with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription, prepare your formatted message and select Message > Mail template > Save email as template. Enter a name and select Save. Reuse it through Home > New > Mail from template.

For a reusable signature in classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024 for Windows, format the text in Word, including strikethrough, and copy it. To add or change your Outlook signature, open Message > Signature > Signatures in a draft. Select New, name the signature, paste into Edit signature, and select OK.

Insert the saved signature through Message > Signature, then choose its name. For automatic insertion, choose the signature under New messages, Replies/forwards, or both.

Activate strikethrough with Voice access

On a supported Windows 11 version with Voice access configured, open Settings > Accessibility > Speech and turn on Voice access. Select your message text and expose the Strikethrough button using the steps for your Outlook desktop or browser interface.

Say Show numbers, then say the number displayed beside Strikethrough. This uses Microsoft's numbered-control mechanism and depends on the formatting control being exposed to Voice access.

Draw a line across text

In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024 for Windows, open a standalone message window and select Insert > Shapes. Choose a line from Lines and draw it across the text, holding Shift to keep it horizontal. Adjust its appearance through Shape Format > Shape Outline.

This creates a separate drawing object. It does not behave like a strikethrough font effect when the text moves, so use it only when you want a drawn line.

Cross out message entries through expiration or completion

In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024, expiration crosses out a message-list entry after the expiration time. For an outgoing message, open Options and select the Message Options Dialog Box Launcher in More Options. Under Delivery options, check Expires after and choose the date and time.

For a received message, open it separately and select File > Properties. Check Expires after, choose the date and time, select Close, then select Save.

To expire outgoing messages automatically in those classic Outlook versions, open File > Options > Mail. Under Send messages, check Mark messages as expired after this many days, enter a value from 1 to 99, and select OK. The messages receive the crossed-out list presentation after expiration.

For a flagged message in those versions, right-click it and select Mark Complete. The item then appears with a strikethrough. To keep seeing it in Tasks or the To-Do Bar, set that view to show all tasks and to-do items, including completed ones. These actions change message status rather than formatting words in the email body.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you strikethrough text in Outlook on iPhone or Android?

Microsoft does not document a native strikethrough control in Outlook for iOS or Android. Use Outlook in a desktop browser to apply the web formatting method. The Outlook for Mac shortcut does not establish an iPad shortcut.

Should you switch to Rich Text Format for strikethrough?

Use HTML for ordinary correspondence. Microsoft describes Rich Text Format as a legacy format, and new Outlook does not offer RTF composition.

Does Ctrl plus D open the strikethrough settings in Outlook?

Do not rely on Ctrl + D for this task. Outside the editor, that shortcut deletes selected items in Outlook.

Can you apply strikethrough with Outlook Dictate?

Microsoft does not document a strikethrough command for Outlook Dictate. Dictating email text and activating a formatting control through Windows Voice access are separate operations.

Why might strikethrough disappear even when you compose in HTML?

If the recipient's email program is set to convert messages, an HTML message you send could be converted to plain text, which removes formatting. Your composition format alone does not prevent that conversion.

Can you substitute the My Templates add-in for full email templates?

You should not assume the two preserve identical formatting. Microsoft describes the add-in as supporting only basic styling, so its formatting capabilities should not be treated as equivalent to full email templates.