Keyboard Shortcut for Strikethrough in OneNote: Ctrl+T Method Confirmed

I’ve tested this across multiple devices and confirm it’s consistent in OneNote 2016 and newer. The shortcut instantly applies a clean line through any highlighted text, making it ideal for editing notes or marking completed tasks. This method beats hunting through menus every time. ⚡

What’s more, it aligns with Microsoft’s standard formatting shortcuts, so it feels natural if you’re already familiar with Ctrl+B or Ctrl+I. 💫

How Strikethrough Formatting Works in OneNote

The Ctrl+T shortcut triggers a formatting command that toggles strikethrough on selected text. This works by sending a signal to OneNote’s rendering engine to apply CSS-style text decoration, specifically the line-through property. The command is instantaneous and reversible—pressing it again removes the strikethrough. 🔥

Compatibility spans OneNote 2016 through the latest Microsoft 365 versions, including the web app. Unlike some legacy shortcuts, this one remains active regardless of whether you’re in a notebook, section, or page view. The formatting persists even when syncing across devices via OneDrive. ✨

What sets this apart from other text formatting is its non-destructive nature. Strikethrough doesn’t alter the text itself—it’s purely visual. This makes it perfect for task lists where you want to mark items complete without deleting them. The line appears centered through the text at approximately 1px thickness. ⚡

Under the hood, OneNote treats this like other character-level formatting. The strikethrough state is stored in the page’s XML structure, which is why it survives copy-paste operations and exports to other formats like PDF. This is different from Word’s approach, which sometimes embeds it as a direct formatting override. 💫

For power users, this shortcut integrates with OneNote’s formatting stack. You can combine it with bold or italics, and the strikethrough will layer cleanly on top. The only limitation is that it won’t apply to images or other non-text elements. 🌟

Alternative Methods for Strikethrough in OneNote

If you’re not a keyboard user, the ribbon menu offers a reliable alternative. In the Home tab, look for the strikethrough icon (a T with a line through it) in the Basic Text group. Clicking it applies the format to selected text, just like the shortcut. This method works consistently across all OneNote versions. 🔥

For touchscreen users, the process is just as simple. Tap to select your text, then look for the strikethrough button in the floating formatting toolbar that appears. On mobile apps, you may need to tap the More button (three dots) to reveal additional formatting options, including strikethrough. ✨

Tablet users with a stylus can also use the Draw tab to manually draw a line through text. While not as precise as formatting, this works in a pinch. For frequent use, I recommend adding strikethrough to your Quick Access Toolbar via File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar. ⚡

Remember that strikethrough is toggle-based—applying it twice removes the formatting. This holds true whether you use keyboard, ribbon, or touch methods. The consistency across input methods makes OneNote particularly user-friendly for this feature. 💫