Power of Strikethrough in Microsoft Word:

Strikethrough is a cool tool in Microsoft Word that lets you draw a line through selected text. It’s not just about making things look crossed out. Strikethrough can help you with a bunch of stuff, like editing documents, managing tasks, and presenting data. Let’s dive into how you can use strikethrough in Word and why it’s so handy.

There are several ways to apply strikethrough formatting to text in Microsoft Word:

Applying strikethrough to text Using the Ribbon’s Home Tab:

1. Select the Text: Select the text that you want to strike out.

2. Apply Strikethrough: Navigate to the “Home” tab in the Word ribbon. Locate the “Font” group and simply click on the Strikethrough icon. The selected text will immediately adopt the strikethrough style.

Applying strikethrough to text Using the Font dialog box:

1. Select the Text: Highlight the text that you want to format with strikethrough.

2. Open the Font Dialog Box:

There are several ways to open the Font dialog box:

• Option 1: Click on the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the Font group in the “Home” tab.
• Option 2: Press the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + D” or “Ctrl + Shift + F”.
• Option 3: Right-click on the selected text and choose “Font” from the context menu.

3. Apply Strikethrough: Check the box labeled “Strikethrough” and click “OK” to apply the formatting.

Apply Strikethrough Using the Quick Access Toolbar:

1. Add Strikethrough to the Quick Access Toolbar: Customize your Quick Access Toolbar to include the “Strikethrough” command. Check this post to know more about the Quick Access Toolbar and to Customize it.

2. Select the Text: Highlight the text you want to format with strikethrough.

3. Click the Strikethrough Icon: Look for the Strikethrough icon on your Quick Access Toolbar and click on the Strikethrough icon once.

4. Instant Formatting: The selected text will now be formatted with strikethrough.

Applying Strikethrough Using the Format Painter:

First, you must apply strikethrough to text using any of the above-mentioned methods to use the Format Painter.

1. Select the Source Text: Begin by selecting the text within your document that already has the strikethrough formatting you wish to replicate.

2. Activate the Format Painter: Click on the Format Painter icon in the “Home” tab Clipboard Group. Your cursor will transform into a paintbrush symbol, indicating that the Format Painter is active.

3. Apply Strikethrough Formatting: Click and drag your mouse over the text where you want to apply the strikethrough formatting. Release the mouse button once you’ve covered the desired text.

Practical Ways to Use Strikethrough:

Here’s why people love using strikethrough:

1. Editing and Revising:

During editing and revising, strikethrough is super helpful. It lets you mark text that needs to go or be changed while keeping the original stuff there too. This is great for tracking changes and edits when lots of people are working on a document together.

2. Document Comparison

If you’re comparing different versions of a document or checking for changes, strikethrough is your friend. It makes it easy to spot the differences between texts by showing what’s been changed.

 3. Task Management

For keeping track of tasks in lists or plans, strikethrough is handy. You can cross off tasks once they’re done, so you know what’s finished and what’s left to do.

4. Presenting Information

When you’re showing info in reports or presentations, strikethrough helps. It points out what’s old or not important anymore, so you can focus on the stuff that matters.

Tips for Using Strikethrough Like a Pro

• Use with Track Changes: Combine strikethrough with Word’s “Track Changes” feature to keep a record of edits.

• Customize Formatting: Try out different styles, colors, and sizes to make your strikethrough text stand out.

• Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn shortcuts like `Ctrl + D` to make using strikethrough even faster.

In Microsoft Word, strikethrough isn’t just about making text look crossed out. It’s useful for lots of things like editing, keeping track of tasks and showing data. By learning how to use strikethrough well, you can make your Word documents better and easier to understand.