Markdown Strikethrough: How to Cross Out Text

Strikethrough draws a line through text to indicate deletion or correction. The syntax is double tildes: ~~text~~. This is a GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extension, not part of the original markdown specification, but nearly every modern parser supports it.

Basic Syntax

~~This text is crossed out~~

Renders as: This text is crossed out

The tildes must be directly adjacent to the text. Spaces between the tildes and the text break the formatting on some parsers:

<!-- Works -->
~~crossed out~~

<!-- May not work -->
~~ crossed out ~~

Double Tildes, Not Single

Strikethrough requires two tildes on each side. A single tilde does not trigger strikethrough in GFM:

<!-- Not strikethrough -->
~single tilde~

<!-- Strikethrough -->
~~double tilde~~

Some parsers (Pandoc, for example) support single-tilde strikethrough with specific extensions enabled, but double tildes are the universal standard.

Combining with Other Formatting

Strikethrough works alongside bold, italic, and code:

~~**bold and struck through**~~
~~*italic and struck through*~~
**~~bold and struck through~~**
*~~italic and struck through~~*

All four examples produce the same visual result on most platforms: text that is both formatted and crossed out.

Strikethrough does not combine with inline code. The backticks take precedence:

~~`code`~~ → shows as struck-through code on some parsers, but inconsistent

For crossing out code, use HTML: <del><code>old code</code></del>.

When to Use Strikethrough

Changelogs and release notes to show removed features or replaced behavior:

- ~~Legacy API endpoint~~ Replaced by v2 API
- ~~Node.js 16 support~~ Dropped in v3.0

Corrections in collaborative documents:

The meeting is on ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday at 3 PM.

To-do lists with completed items (alternative to task list checkboxes):

- ~~Set up database~~
- ~~Write API endpoints~~
- Write tests
- Deploy

Pricing pages showing discounted prices:

~~$10/month~~ $7/month (annual billing)

Humorous or editorial effect:

This feature is ~~definitely not~~ going to ship on time.

Strikethrough in HTML

Markdown strikethrough converts to the <del> HTML element:

<del>deleted text</del>

The <del> element has semantic meaning: it indicates content that has been removed from the document. Screen readers may announce it as “deleted”. This is distinct from <s> (no longer accurate) or CSS text-decoration: line-through (visual only).

If you need more control, use HTML directly:

<del>Old text</del> <ins>New text</ins>

The <ins> tag marks inserted content and is the semantic counterpart to <del>.

Platform Differences

Key differences:

• Slack uses single ~ for strikethrough, not double ~~
• Discord uses double ~~ like standard GFM
• CommonMark does not include strikethrough; it is a GFM extension
• Obsidian strips <del> HTML tags but supports ~~

Common Mistakes

Using single tildes. In GFM, ~text~ is not strikethrough. Use ~~text~~.

Tildes around whitespace. If your text starts or ends with a space inside the tildes, some parsers skip the formatting.

Confusing Slack and markdown. If you write for Slack, use single ~. If you write for GitHub, Discord, or most other platforms, use double ~~.

Copy-Paste Templates

~~deleted text~~
~~**bold deleted text**~~
~~$old price~~ $new price
~~Old approach~~ New approach

FAQ

How do I strikethrough text in markdown?

Wrap the text in double tildes: ~~text~~. This is a GFM extension supported by GitHub, VS Code, Obsidian, Discord, and most modern markdown processors.

Does strikethrough work in standard markdown?

No. Strikethrough is a GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extension. However, nearly every modern markdown tool supports it. If your parser does not, you can use the HTML <del> tag.

What is the difference between single and double tildes?

In GFM and most markdown processors, only double tildes (~~) trigger strikethrough. Single tildes have no formatting effect. Slack is the exception: it uses single ~ for strikethrough.

Try It Out

Test strikethrough formatting in the MDtoLink editor with live preview. Publish your document to a shareable URL when it’s ready.

For the full syntax, see the markdown cheat sheet. For other text formatting options, see the bold and italic guide.