A strikethrough is text with a horizontal line drawn through its center, produced by Unicode combining overlay characters rather than by HTML tags or CSS styles. Unlike the standard <s> or <del> elements, which depend on the receiving app supporting rich formatting, Unicode strikethrough is just plain characters, so it survives copy-and-paste into Instagram bios, Discord chats, TikTok captions, X posts, and even plain text fields like Notion or Google Docs comments. The MDN documentation for the HTML <s> element confirms that semantic strikethrough only renders where the platform honors it; Unicode overlays render everywhere.
The trouble is that typing a line through a word from a regular keyboard isn't possible on most devices. There's no dedicated "strike" key, and the typical Bold, Italic, and Underline ribbon options live inside word processors that strip formatting the moment you paste into a social media bio. That's where a Unicode-based generator earns its place: it emits real characters that any app can display, no markup required.
What Strikethrough Text Actually Is
Strikethrough text isn't a font or a CSS trick. It's a sequence of ordinary letters followed by a special Unicode combining character that draws a line across the preceding glyph. The combining mark most commonly used is U+0336, "COMBINING LONG STROKE OVERLAY," which renders as a full-length horizontal line through the middle of the previous character. When a string like sale is followed by five copies of U+0336 (one per character), the result looks like a cleanly crossed-out word: s̶a̶l̶e̶.
Because each character is overlaid independently, you get the crossed-out appearance regardless of which app opens the text. Other overlay code points give slightly different looks: U+0335 (short stroke overlay) creates a thinner line, while variations like slash, double slash, and tilde overlays let you decorate text without traditional formatting.
Why Unicode Strikethrough Beats Built-in Formatting
Most word processors, email clients, and chat apps include some form of strikethrough button. Google Docs has it under Format > Text > Strikethrough, Microsoft Word has it in the ribbon, and HTML offers the <s> element documented on the MDN Web Docs reference. These all work — until you copy the text and paste it somewhere that doesn't honor formatting. The line disappears the moment your text lands in an Instagram bio, a Discord status, an X display name, or any field that accepts only plain characters.
Unicode overlay characters sidestep that problem entirely because the formatting is baked into the characters themselves. There is no stylesheet to apply, no markup to interpret. The receiving app just renders the glyph sequence and the strikethrough shows up automatically. This is why Unicode-based cross-out text has become a go-to trick for social media managers, editors marking up drafts, and anyone who wants their crossed-out text to actually stay crossed out.
| Method | Where it works | Survives plain-text paste |
|---|---|---|
| CSS text-decoration: line-through | Web pages, some rich text editors | No |
| HTML <s> or <del> | Browsers and HTML-aware apps | No |
| Word processor button (Google Docs, Word) | Inside that app only | No |
| Unicode combining overlay (U+0336 and friends) | Any app that displays Unicode | Yes |
How to Cross Out Text Online
You don't need any software, browser extension, or signup to create strikethrough text. The Strikethrough Text generator handles the Unicode overlay work for you. Here's the quickest path from plain text to crossed-out text you can paste anywhere.
- Open the Strikethrough Text tool in your browser.
- Type or paste your word, phrase, or sentence into the input box on the left.
- Choose a style from the available options — classic strikethrough, short strike, slash, underline, or tilde — and watch the result update live in the output box.
- Click the Copy button to send the crossed-out text to your clipboard.
- Paste the result into any chat, bio, caption, comment, or document. It will display as crossed-out text with no extra steps.
The whole process takes a few seconds and works on desktop browsers, mobile Safari, and Chrome on Android. Because the output is just Unicode characters, you can also paste it into a code editor or a plain .txt file and it'll still display correctly when reopened.
Where to Use Crossed-Out Text
Strikethrough has real, practical uses beyond decoration. Retailers and resellers use it in Instagram and TikTok captions to show original prices next to new ones — a familiar pattern that signals a discount without losing the original number. Writers and editors paste crossed-out words into Discord and Slack messages to suggest deletions during collaborative drafts. Project managers sometimes use strikethrough in Notion or Google Docs comments to indicate that a task has been completed or a requirement has changed.
It also shows up in bios and usernames. A crossed-out word in a display name draws attention, and because the formatting is part of the characters themselves, it survives even on platforms that don't allow rich text. The same trick works in YouTube comments, Reddit posts, and even some gaming platforms that accept Unicode in display names. If you want to pair strikethrough with other Unicode styles, try combining it with bold or italic Unicode from the Bold Text Generator for extra emphasis.
Strikethrough on Phones and in Messaging Apps
Mobile keyboards rarely include a built-in strikethrough option, which is why people search for a way to do it without downloading an app. The Unicode overlay method works on iOS and Android because both operating systems ship with fonts that include the combining stroke characters. The text renders correctly in iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Discord mobile, Instagram DMs, and the native Notes app.
To use crossed-out text on a phone, open the Strikethrough Text generator in your mobile browser, type or paste your text, pick a style, and tap Copy. Switch to the app where you want the text to appear, tap and hold in the text field, and paste. The strikethrough shows up exactly as it did in the preview, with no app-specific shortcuts required.
Picking the Right Style
Not every overlay character looks the same. The classic strikethrough using U+0336 draws a long horizontal line that fully covers the height of most lowercase letters. The short stroke overlay (U+0335) draws a shorter line that some find less visually heavy. Slash and double-slash overlays add diagonal lines that read more as decorative than as "deleted," and the underline overlay places a line below the text — useful when strikethrough feels too aggressive.
| Style | Unicode character | Visual effect |
|---|---|---|
| Classic strikethrough | U+0336 Combining Long Stroke Overlay | Full-length horizontal line through the middle |
| Short strike | U+0335 Combining Short Stroke Overlay | Shorter line, lighter visual weight |
| Slash | Various slash overlays | Diagonal line through the character |
| Underline | U+0332 Combining Low Line | Line below the baseline |
| Tilde | Various tilde overlays | Wavy or tilde-shaped overlay |
The live preview in the Strikethrough Text tool lets you compare styles side by side before copying. Switching between them takes a single click, so it's easy to experiment until you find the look that fits your caption or bio.
Common Questions About Unicode Strikethrough
Because the output is built from combining characters, every character needs its own overlay. A five-letter word requires five copies of the overlay character, one after each letter. That's why generators handle this automatically — typing the overlay manually would mean counting glyphs and inserting the right code point each time. The tool also keeps the original text intact, so you can edit your input and watch the strikethrough update without retyping.
Strikethrough text uses more characters than the original, which matters in fields with strict length limits. The Character Counter tool can confirm your final length before you paste into X, where every character counts toward the post limit, or into an Instagram bio capped at 150 characters. If you need crossed-out text plus other stylistic effects, you can also explore the Zalgo Glitch Text Generator or the Upside Down Text tool for more dramatic Unicode effects.
For longer documents where you want the strikethrough to live alongside regular formatting, the HTML <s> element described in the MDN HTML reference remains the right choice. But for any plain-text field that won't honor markup, Unicode overlay characters are the most reliable way to make crossed-out text display correctly.
Related guide: How to Generate Random Text Word Lists Online.