Strikethrough Text Generator
Generate strikethrough text (s̶t̶r̶i̶k̶e̶), cross-out fonts (s̷l̷a̷s̷h̷), and tilde lines (t̴i̴l̴d̴e̴) in real time. Perfect for Discord messages, Reddit posts, Twitter sarcasm, and editing corrections.
Generated Strikethrough Fonts Preview
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Platform Rules, Compatibility & Safety Playbooks
Looking for a Strikethrough Text Generator to Cross Out Words?
The FreeAIToolsBox Strikethrough Text Generator (also known as a cross out text generator, slash text generator, or line through font maker) converts standard text into cross-out letters (s̶t̶r̶i̶k̶e̶), diagonal slashed fonts (s̷l̷a̷s̷h̷), and squiggly tildes (t̴i̴l̴d̴e̴) in real time. Because these styles are universal Unicode combining characters rather than HTML markup (<s>) or platform-specific markdown (~~tildes~~), you can copy and paste them directly into Discord channel titles, Reddit comments, Twitter (X) posts, and Instagram bios without installing extensions.
What Is Strikethrough Text? How Combining Diacritical Overlays Work
In typography, strikethrough text (also called strikeout, cross-out text, or line-through text) represents letters intersected by a continuous horizontal line. In traditional publishing, it indicates deleted drafts or completed checklist tasks. On modern social media, it has evolved into the definitive vehicle for internet sarcasm, comedic irony, and price discounts.
While word processors and code editors achieve this via formatting tags (like HTML <s> or Markdown ~~text~~), social media profile bios and chat apps automatically strip HTML tags.
Our strikethrough text generator utilizes Unicode Combining Diacritical Marks (specifically U+0336 Combining Long Stroke Overlay). These are zero-width modifying glyphs appended to each character that instruct the operating system’s typography engine to draw a continuous horizontal stroke across the letter.
Only works inside chat bubbles on select platforms (Discord/Reddit). Fails inside social bios, channel titles, and usernames.
Universal Combining Stroke (U+0336) glyphs that render anywhere: Twitter (X) tweets, Instagram bios, Discord nicknames, and YouTube titles.
How to Generate Strikethrough Text (Step-by-Step Guide)
Crossing out text for social posts and chat handles takes just 3 steps:
Enter your text
Type or paste your sentence, price, or username into the generator input box above. All 5 strike styles update in real time.
Select your strike style
Choose between continuous long stroke, diagonal slash through, or tilde squiggles. Tap “Copy” to save to your clipboard.
Paste anywhere
Paste your crossed-out text into Discord channel topics, Twitter tweets, Reddit posts, Instagram bios, or Facebook updates.
Master Strikethrough Styles & Diacritical Mark Matrix
Compare the technical codepoints and design characteristics of each strikethrough variation:
| Style Name | Sample Output | Unicode Codepoint | Primary Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Strikethrough | s̶t̶r̶i̶k̶e̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ | U+0336 (Long Stroke) | Universal sarcasm, pricing edits, task lists |
| Slash-Through | s̷l̷a̷s̷h̷ ̷t̷h̷r̷o̷u̷g̷h̷ | U+0338 (Long Solidus) | Cyberpunk aesthetics, discord channel tags |
| Tilde Strike | t̴i̴l̴d̴e̴ ̴s̴t̴r̴i̴k̴e̴ | U+0334 (Tilde Overlay) | Playful sarcasm, soft aesthetic tweets |
| Short Strikethrough | s̵h̵o̵r̵t̵ ̵s̵t̵r̵i̵k̵e̵ | U+0335 (Short Stroke) | Subtle word edits, academic revisions |
| Double Under/Over Strike | d̳o̳u̳b̳l̳e̳ ̳s̳t̳r̳i̳k̳e̳ | U+0333 (Double Low Line) | Legal emphasis, heavy technical contrast |
| Cursive Strikethrough | 𝒸̶𝓊̶𝓇̶𝓈̶𝒾̶𝓋̶𝑒̶ | U+1D434 + U+0336 | Aesthetic Instagram captions, poetry corrections |
| Bold Strikethrough | 𝗯̶𝗼̶𝗹̶𝗱̶ ̶𝘀̶𝘁̶𝗿̶𝗶̶𝗸̶𝗲̶ | U+1D5D4 + U+0336 | High-impact social hooks, bold discount alerts |
HTML & Markdown vs. Universal Unicode Strikethrough
Why can’t you just use standard HTML tags (<s>) or double tildes (~~text~~) on every social network?
1. Security Filtering (XSS Protection): Social media networks like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok strip all raw HTML markup to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. If you type <del>text</del> into a tweet, Twitter renders the literal angle brackets rather than crossing out the word.
2. Markdown Scope Limitations: Platforms like Discord and Reddit support Markdown only in specific rich text containers (such as post bodies or standard chat). They deliberately disable Markdown parsing inside profile bios, usernames, and server channel names to prevent visual glitches in their navigation bars.
3. The Unicode Solution: Unicode Combining Diacritical Marks bypass these platform limitations entirely. Because they are plain text characters, Twitter, Discord, and Instagram accept them without stripping or filtering.
Where Can You Use Strikethrough Text? (Discord, Reddit, X & Social)
Strikethrough text creates instant visual interest across multiple digital touchpoints:
Sarcasm, Irony & Editorial Rules for Strikethrough Text
To get the maximum engagement from strikethrough text without confusing your audience, follow these editorial guidelines:
- Cross out short phrases: Strike 1 to 4 words to deliver maximum comedic irony or unspoken thoughts.
- Highlight promotional discounts: Cross out original prices (e.g. ~~$99~~ $49) in social sales copy to showcase value.
- Pair with bold typography: Combine long stroke lines (s̶t̶r̶i̶k̶e̶) with bold fonts for striking e-commerce visual contrast.
- Use 1-click clipboard clean: Use our strip strikethrough button to revert back to plain ASCII in one click whenever needed.
- Don’t strike whole paragraphs: Crossing out entire multi-sentence paragraphs causes extreme reading strain.
- Never use in legal disclosures: Critical terms of service, refund rules, and privacy policies must remain completely plain.
- Avoid combining multiple strikes: Stacking slash-through and tilde-strike on the same character results in illegible glyph clusters.
- Don’t strike URLs or emails: Adding combining diacritics to links and email addresses breaks clickable hyperlink parsing.
Font Engine Compatibility & Diacritical Mark Rendering
How modern operating systems process combining stroke diacritics:
Unlike pre-composed characters, combining marks rely on the text rasterization engine (such as Apple CoreText, DirectWrite on Windows, or HarfBuzz on Android/Linux) to calculate character bounding boxes and center the horizontal line.
Because U+0336 has been part of the official Unicode specification since Version 1.1 (1993), it enjoys 100% native support across every modern device without requiring external font downloads.
Screen Reader Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1)
Screen readers handle Unicode combining marks differently depending on user configuration:
Some screen readers read the base letter followed by the diacritic name, while others ignore combining marks and read the plain word. To maintain WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards:
- If crossed-out text conveys critical information (e.g. an out-of-stock product), explicitly add standard text like ‘(Sold Out)’ or ‘(Discounted)’.
- Keep strikethrough jokes brief so screen reader users aren’t subjected to repetitive diacritic announcements.
Explore All 28 Stylish Font Generators
Looking for a different aesthetic? Return to the main Stylish Fonts Generator Hub to browse all font styles, or explore sibling tools:
Frequently Asked Questions About Strikethrough Text
Everything you need to know about generating, copying, and pasting cross-out fonts:
What is a strikethrough text generator?
A strikethrough text generator is an online typography utility that inserts horizontal lines, slashes, or tildes through standard keyboard letters (e.g., s̶t̶r̶i̶k̶e̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶). Unlike word processor formatting which requires specialized software, our generator produces universal Unicode combining characters that can be copied and pasted directly into Discord, Reddit, Twitter (X), Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
How does Unicode create strikethrough text without HTML or CSS?
Unicode achieves cross-out text using ‘Combining Diacritical Marks’—specifically Combining Long Stroke Overlay (U+0336), Combining Short Stroke (U+0335), and Combining Long Solidus (Slash U+0338). These are zero-width modifying glyphs placed immediately after each character that instruct the operating system’s font engine to render a continuous strike line through the preceding letter.
How do I make strikethrough text in Discord?
Discord natively supports strikethrough using two tildes on either side of your text: ~~like this~~. However, native Discord markdown only works inside standard chat messages. If you want strikethrough text for your Discord username, server nickname, channel topic, or bio, you must use our Unicode strikethrough generator above.
How do I make strikethrough text on Reddit?
On Reddit’s desktop Fancy Pants editor, highlight text and click the strikethrough icon (an ‘S’ with a horizontal line). In Reddit Markdown mode or on mobile apps, wrap your text with two tildes: ~~text~~. To cross out text in your Reddit username profile bio or user flair, copy our Unicode strikethrough text.
Can I use strikethrough text on Twitter (X) and Instagram?
Yes! Twitter (X) and Instagram do not provide built-in text formatting buttons for tweets, bios, or captions. By generating Unicode strikethrough text on FreeAIToolsBox, you can paste cross-out text directly into your tweets, Instagram bios, and post captions with 100% rendering fidelity.
What is the difference between strikethrough, slash-through, and tilde strike?
Each style uses a different Unicode combining codepoint: 1) Strikethrough (U+0336: t̶e̶x̶t̶) draws a clean, continuous horizontal line through the midline. 2) Slash-Through (U+0338: t̷e̷x̷t̷) draws diagonal forward slashes through each glyph. 3) Tilde Strike (U+0334: t̴e̴x̴t̴) places wavy squiggly lines through each character for a playful, glitch-like appearance.
Why do people use strikethrough text on social media?
Strikethrough text is the universal internet shorthand for irony, sarcasm, humor, and self-correction. Creators use it to reveal their inner thoughts (e.g., ‘I am definitely ~~not~~ procrastinating today’) or to display promotional discounts (e.g., ‘Regular Price: ~~$99~~ Now $29’).
Will strikethrough text work on iPhone, Android, and Windows?
Yes. The Combining Long Stroke Overlay (U+0336) was introduced in Unicode 1.1 in 1993 and is supported by 100% of modern operating systems, web browsers, and mobile devices worldwide.
How do I remove strikethrough formatting from copied text?
To remove strikethrough formatting, paste your crossed-out text into our tool and click the ‘Strip Strike / Plain Text’ button in our companion suite. It automatically filters out all combining overlay codepoints, restoring your plain ASCII text in milliseconds.
Can I use strikethrough text in YouTube comments and video descriptions?
Yes! YouTube supports Unicode combining characters in video titles, descriptions, and community comments. Using crossed-out prices or playful edits in video descriptions is a proven click-through booster.
What is the HTML tag for strikethrough text on websites?
In standard HTML5 web development, strikethrough is coded using the tag (for content that is no longer accurate) or the tag (for deleted document edits). However, social media platforms and messaging apps strip out raw HTML tags, which is why Unicode copy-and-paste text is necessary.
How do I make strikethrough in Google Docs and Microsoft Word?
In Google Docs, highlight text and press Alt + Shift + 5 (Windows) or Command + Shift + X (Mac). In Microsoft Word, press Ctrl + D to open the Font dialog and check ‘Strikethrough’, or use the ‘ab’ button on the Home ribbon.
Can I create double strikethrough or underline-strike combinations?
Yes! Our generator includes double-strike and underline combinations that overlay multiple combining diacritical marks simultaneously, creating dense editorial styles for emphasis.
How do screen readers pronounce strikethrough text?
Most modern screen readers announce text normally but may mention ‘combining long stroke overlay’ depending on the user’s verbosity settings. For maximum web accessibility, avoid writing entire paragraphs in strikethrough text.
Do I need to install an app or extension to use this tool?
No! FreeAIToolsBox runs 100% in your mobile or desktop web browser without software downloads, browser extensions, or account registrations.
Is FreeAIToolsBox Strikethrough Text Generator completely free?
Yes, completely free with unlimited text transformations, zero pop-up advertisements, and instant 1-click clipboard copying.