❌ Strikethrough Text Generator
Instantly add a line through your text. Perfect for showing corrections, sarcasm, and creative emphasis on social media!
What is Strikethrough Text & Why It's Perfect for Modern Communication
In the world of digital communication, sometimes what you don't say is just as important as what you do say. That's where strikethrough text comes in—a simple yet powerful formatting tool that lets you "cross out" words while keeping them visible. It's become an essential part of internet culture, used for everything from showing corrections and completed tasks to adding layers of sarcasm, irony, and humor to your social media posts.
Our free strikethrough text generator makes it incredibly easy to add this formatting to any text, then copy and paste it anywhere—Instagram bios, Twitter posts, Discord messages, TikTok captions, Facebook comments, and more. Unlike platform-specific formatting (like Discord's markdown), our Unicode-based strikethrough works universally across all text fields.
How to Use Our Instant Strikethrough Generator
Using our strikethrough tool couldn't be simpler. Here's your quick guide:
- Type Your Text: Enter any word, phrase, or sentence in the input box below.
- Instant Transformation: Watch as your text instantly appears with a line through it in real-time.
- One-Click Copy: Hit the "Copy" button to copy your strikethrough text to your clipboard.
- Paste Anywhere: Go to any social media platform, messaging app, or text field and paste your styled text.
That's it! No complex formatting codes, no special software, no browser extensions. Just instant, copyable strikethrough text that works everywhere.
⚡ Create Your Strikethrough Text
Type your text below and instantly see it crossed out!
The Complete Guide to Using Strikethrough Text Effectively
Understanding How Strikethrough Actually Works
Unlike bold or italic text, strikethrough isn't a style that platforms apply to your text—it's created using a special Unicode combining character. Specifically, our generator adds the "Combining Long Stroke Overlay" character (Unicode U+0336) after each letter in your text. This combining character literally draws a line through the preceding character, creating the strikethrough effect.
Because this is done using actual characters rather than HTML formatting or platform-specific markdown, the strikethrough effect is "baked into" the text itself. This means you can copy it from our generator and paste it anywhere that supports Unicode characters—which is virtually everywhere in 2025. For more technical details about Unicode combining characters, check out the official Unicode documentation.
Creative & Practical Uses for Strikethrough Text
Strikethrough text has evolved from a simple "correction" marker to a versatile communication tool. Here are the most popular and effective ways to use it:
1. Show Corrections & Updates
The original and most straightforward use: showing that something has changed. Example: "Meeting at ̶3̶P̶M̶ 4PM" clearly shows the time changed without deleting the original information. This is particularly useful in professional contexts where transparency about changes is important.
2. Add Sarcasm & Irony
One of the most popular modern uses! Strikethrough lets you say something while pretending you're not saying it. Example: "I ̶h̶a̶t̶e̶ love Mondays" or "That was ̶t̶e̶r̶r̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ amazing." This adds a layer of humor and relatability to your posts that resonates especially well with younger audiences.
3. Track Completed Tasks
Show your progress by striking through completed items in a to-do list posted to social media. Example: "Today's goals: ̶W̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶u̶p̶ ✓ ̶C̶o̶f̶f̶e̶e̶ ✓ Conquer the world (in progress)". This creates engaging, relatable content for platforms like Instagram Stories or Twitter.
4. Emphasize Price Reductions
If you're promoting a sale or discount, strikethrough makes the original price visually clear: "Was ̶$̶9̶9̶ Now $49!" This creates an immediate visual impact that draws attention to the savings.
5. Create Humorous Contradictions
Build comedy through juxtaposition: "I'm a ̶p̶r̶o̶c̶r̶a̶s̶t̶i̶n̶a̶t̶o̶r̶ productivity expert" or "̶L̶a̶z̶y̶ Efficiently conserving energy." This self-aware humor performs particularly well on Twitter and TikTok.
6. Show Internal Thoughts vs. What You Actually Say
Reveal the gap between thinking and speaking: "What I wanted to say: ̶A̶r̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶i̶o̶u̶s̶?̶ What I actually said: That's interesting!" This format has become incredibly popular for relatable content.
Platform-Specific Strikethrough Tips
Instagram: Strikethrough works perfectly in bios (great for adding humor like "̶N̶o̶t̶ a professional photographer"), captions, and comments. It's subtle enough not to overwhelm but distinctive enough to catch the eye.
Twitter/X: Strikethrough is hugely popular on Twitter for sarcastic commentary and showing corrections to previous tweets. It fits perfectly with Twitter's quick-wit culture.
Discord: While Discord has its own markdown strikethrough (~~text~~), our Unicode version has an advantage: it works in channel names, usernames, and places where markdown doesn't apply.
TikTok: Use strikethrough in your bio to add personality, or in video captions for humorous asides. Example bio: "̶F̶a̶m̶o̶u̶s̶ Working on it | Content Creator"
Facebook: Strikethrough works in posts, comments, and your About section. It's less common on Facebook, which makes it stand out even more when you use it.
Professional Platforms (LinkedIn): Use strikethrough sparingly and professionally—perhaps to show career progression: "Former: ̶J̶u̶n̶i̶o̶r̶ ̶D̶e̶v̶e̶l̶o̶p̶e̶r̶ | Current: Senior Developer"
Strikethrough Best Practices & Style Guide
To use strikethrough effectively without overdoing it, follow these guidelines:
- Keep It Short: Strikethrough is harder to read than normal text. Use it for emphasis on short phrases, not entire paragraphs.
- Don't Overuse: One or two strikethroughs per post is impactful. Five or six becomes exhausting to read.
- Make It Obvious: The crossed-out text should clearly relate to the non-crossed text. The relationship should be immediately understandable.
- Consider Your Audience: Younger, internet-savvy audiences immediately understand strikethrough irony. More traditional audiences might need context.
- Test Readability: On mobile devices, very long strikethrough text can be difficult to read. Always preview on a phone before posting.
Want to explore other creative text styles? Check out our Fancy Text Generator for beautiful Unicode fonts, or try the Upside Down Text Generator for even more eye-catching effects!
Strikethrough text created with Unicode combining characters works on the vast majority of modern platforms and devices. However, very old systems or certain specialized apps may not render the combining characters correctly, potentially showing the text without the line through it.
Additionally, screen-reading software used by visually impaired users may not properly convey that text is struck through, or may read the combining characters in a confusing way. For critical communications that need to be accessible to all users, consider using plain text with explicit labels like "[corrected]" or "[sarcasm]" instead.
The Cultural History of Strikethrough in Digital Communication
Strikethrough has an interesting evolution in internet culture. It started as a simple HTML tag (<s> or <strike>) used on websites and forums to show corrections or deletions. In the early 2000s, forum users began using it creatively for humor, spawning the now-common pattern of saying something provocative, then "crossing it out" while keeping it readable.
When social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter emerged without built-in strikethrough formatting, creative users found Unicode combining characters as a workaround. This made strikethrough portable—no longer dependent on a platform supporting specific HTML or markdown.
Today, strikethrough has become a sophisticated rhetorical device. It acknowledges subtext, reveals internal thoughts, and adds layers of meaning to otherwise straightforward statements. It's particularly beloved by Millennial and Gen Z users who appreciate its self-aware, slightly ironic tone.