Strikethrough keeps text visible while marking it with a line. In Google Docs it can suit an informal checklist or an example of superseded wording, but it does not create the review history of a suggested deletion.
Apply strikethrough to selected text
- Select the words in Google Docs on a computer.
- Choose Format > Text > Strikethrough.
- Check that the line covers only the intended text.
- Use the same command again to remove the treatment when needed.
The official shortcut list also provides platform-specific keyboard commands. Use the command displayed for your keyboard rather than assuming a Windows shortcut works on every device.
Choose the right review method
For an editor proposing that a sentence be removed, Suggesting mode is usually clearer. It allows another editor to accept or reject the deletion. Manually striking through a sentence only changes its appearance; it does not establish that approval workflow.
Struck text is still part of the document. Do not use strikethrough as a redaction method for confidential information. Anyone able to read the text may still understand, copy, or search it.
Keep the meaning understandable
Add an explicit label or explanatory sentence when the distinction matters, such as identifying the current value beside the old one. Readers should not need to interpret a decorative line alone to understand which instruction applies.
Inspect the text at a normal reading size and in the delivered output. A dense paragraph of struck text can be difficult to read. If old material is no longer useful, consider removing it through the agreed review process rather than leaving an increasingly confusing history embedded in the final document.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.