How does strikethrough text work?
Strikethrough text works by adding an invisible Unicode character after every letter, called a combining mark, that draws a line through the letter before it. The long stroke overlay (U+0336) gives the classic c̶r̶o̶s̶s̶e̶d̶ o̶u̶t̶ look. Since the line is part of the text itself, it survives copy and paste into apps like Instagram and TikTok that have no formatting buttons at all.
The other styles use the same trick with different marks: a short stroke, a slash, a single or double line underneath, a line above, or a wavy line underneath. Spaces are left alone, so a crossed-out sentence shows small gaps between words. That's normal, and it makes the words easier to read.
How do I strikethrough text on WhatsApp, Discord and other apps?
Some apps have their own strikethrough formatting, and it looks cleaner than Unicode there because the app draws a solid line. Use the app's own formatting where it exists, and this generator everywhere else:
- WhatsApp. Put a tilde on each side: ~like this~. It turns into a line when you send it.
- Discord. Two tildes on each side: ~~like this~~. The Discord fonts page on this site has every other Discord format too.
- Slack. One tilde on each side: ~like this~, or select the text and use the formatting bar.
- Google Docs. Select the text and press Alt+Shift+5 on Windows, or Cmd+Shift+X on a Mac.
- Microsoft Word. Select the text and click the abc button with a line through it on the Home tab.
- Instagram, TikTok, Facebook posts, X and YouTube comments. No built-in strikethrough. Use the generator above and paste the result.
Why do people cross out text in posts?
Mostly for jokes that need two versions of the same sentence. Crossing out the first draft and leaving the "real" one next to it says something you couldn't say with plain text: "I'm a m̶o̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ coffee person." It reads like a correction made in public, which is the point.
- Self-deprecating bios. Crossing out the flattering version and leaving the honest one.
- Changed plans. "D̶i̶e̶t̶ s̶t̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ M̶o̶n̶d̶a̶y̶" on a photo of dessert needs no caption.
- Sale prices. An old price crossed out next to the new one, for anyone selling on Instagram or Facebook Marketplace.
- Lists and to-dos. Crossing off items you've finished, in a note or a story.
Use the app's own strikethrough where it has one. Use Unicode where it doesn't.
Why does my strikethrough text look broken?
Usually because of the app's font, not the text. Each app draws the line with its own font, so the line can sit slightly high, look dotted between letters, or overlap the next letter on some phones. The short strike and slash styles hold up better on fonts where the long line looks messy, so try one of those if the first one doesn't look right.
Two other things to know. Each crossed-out letter is really two characters, so strikethrough text uses up a character limit twice as fast: a 30-character bio line becomes about 60. And screen readers read the marks as separate symbols or skip them, which means the line can be lost entirely for someone listening. Don't use strikethrough for anything a reader must notice was removed.