Strikethrough Text Generator
Type your text and instantly see it transformed into strikethrough, crossed-out and other eye-catching styles for social media.
Reviewed by the ToolNestr Editorial Team — July 2026
Style popularity
Which decorative text styles are used most across social media and messaging platforms.
Social Media User
Adds strikethrough text to Instagram captions, tweets, and Facebook posts to create humorous edits or emphasise changes.
Discord User
Uses crossed-out and zalgo text as a novelty in chat messages, server nicknames and channel descriptions for a unique look.
Content Creator
Makes video titles, thumbnails and descriptions stand out with eye-catching strikethrough and glitch effects.
Gamer
Decorates gaming profiles, clan tags and stream overlays with zalgo and strikethrough text for a edgy aesthetic.
| Character | Code Point | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| ̶ | U+0336 | Combining long stroke overlay (strikethrough) |
| ̷ | U+0337 | Combining short solidus overlay (crossed-out) |
| ̸ | U+0338 | Combining long solidus overlay (heavy crossed-out) |
| ̀ | U+0300 | Combining grave accent (zalgo above) |
| ́ | U+0301 | Combining acute accent (zalgo above) |
| ̂ | U+0302 | Combining circumflex (zalgo above) |
| ̣ | U+0323 | Combining dot below (zalgo below) |
| ̥ | U+0325 | Combining ring below (zalgo below) |
How to use the strikethrough generator
Enter your text
Type or paste any word, phrase or sentence into the text area above.
Choose a style
Browse the generated styles — strikethrough, zalgo, glitch, crossed-out and more.
Copy and paste
Click Copy on your favourite style and paste it into any app or social platform.
Tips for decorative text
Use strikethrough for humorous edits
A classic online joke format: write a statement then strikethrough part of it to reveal a funny correction. Works great on Twitter and Instagram.
Avoid zalgo for important text
Zalgo text is hard to read and may not render correctly on all platforms. Keep it for novelty use only, never for critical information.
Test on your target platform first
Some platforms strip or misrender combining characters, especially in usernames. Always preview before committing.
How decorative text works
Decorative text styles like strikethrough and zalgo work by appending Unicode combining characters to each letter. These combining marks are designed to overlay the preceding character, creating effects like lines through text, accents above, dots below and more. Because they use standard Unicode, no special fonts are needed — any modern device will display them.
Worked example
Decorative text transformation
Combining characters
Combining diacritical marks are characters that modify the appearance of the character before them. The strikethrough effect uses U+0336 (combining long stroke overlay) while zalgo stacks multiple marks like U+0300, U+0301, U+0323 and others above, below and through each character. The number of marks stacked creates the intensity of the zalgo effect.
Platform compatibility
Most modern platforms including Instagram, Twitter/X, Discord, WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook support combining characters. However, some systems like older mobile browsers, certain game chats, or strict sanitisation filters may strip them or display them as empty boxes. Always test your styled text on the specific platform before using it in a permanent place like a username or bio.
Moderation rules
Some platforms consider heavy zalgo text as spammy or disruptive because it can take up excessive vertical space in feeds and comments. Use decorative text in moderation — a single strikethrough word in a caption is charming, but an entire paragraph of zalgo may be flagged or removed. Always follow the community guidelines of the platform you're posting on.
When to use decorative text
Decorative text styles serve different purposes across online platforms. The strikethrough style is most commonly used for humorous edits in social media posts, where a user writes a statement and then crosses out part of it to reveal a funny correction or alternative truth. This format originated in meme culture and remains popular on Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit. Zalgo text, with its chaotic stacking of diacritical marks, is used in horror-themed content, creepypasta stories, and Discord server aesthetics to create an unsettling or glitchy visual effect. Content creators on YouTube and TikTok use strikethrough and glitch text in video titles and thumbnails to draw attention and suggest corrected information or alternative interpretations. Gamers decorate their profiles, clan tags, and stream overlays with crossed-out or zalgo text to achieve a distinctive online persona. Discord users frequently employ decorative text in server names, nicknames, and chat messages as a form of self-expression within gaming and community servers. Writers and bloggers may use strikethrough text to indicate edits, updates, or retracted statements within articles while preserving the original text for transparency. The underline style provides emphasis in environments where standard formatting like bold or italic is unavailable, such as plain-text messaging platforms. Understanding which style fits each platform and audience helps users achieve the desired effect without confusing readers or violating community norms.
Limitations and considerations
Decorative text generated with combining Unicode characters has important limitations. Platform compatibility varies significantly; while major platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Discord, WhatsApp, and TikTok support combining characters, some older systems, certain game chats, and strict content sanitization filters may strip these characters or display them as empty boxes. Users should always preview decorative text on the target platform before using it in permanent locations such as usernames, bios, or profile names. Accessibility is a notable concern: screen readers used by visually impaired individuals may not handle combining characters gracefully, potentially reading each combining mark as a separate character or producing garbled output. This makes decorative text unsuitable for important communications, calls to action, or any content where comprehension is critical. Some platforms consider heavy zalgo text as spam or disruptive formatting because the stacked combining marks can occupy excessive vertical space in comment threads and feed displays, leading to content moderation or removal. The double strikethrough and heavy crossing effects may render differently across operating systems due to font variations, with some systems displaying the combined marks as a solid block rather than legible text. Copying and pasting decorative text between applications can sometimes strip the combining characters or convert them to plain text, losing the styling entirely. For these reasons, decorative text should be reserved for novelty, entertainment, and creative expression rather than professional or essential communication.
Frequently asked questions
What is a strikethrough text generator?
It converts normal text into styles that appear crossed-out or decorated using Unicode combining characters. No fonts needed.
How does strikethrough text work?
It uses Unicode combining characters like U+0336 (combining long stroke overlay) placed after each letter to create the crossed-out effect.
Will strikethrough text work on every platform?
Most modern platforms support it, but some older systems may render the combining characters separately or as boxes.
Can I use strikethrough text in usernames?
Many platforms allow it, but some restrict special Unicode characters in usernames. Test before finalising.
What is zalgo text?
Zalgo adds many combining marks above, below and through each character to create a chaotic, glitchy appearance.
Is my text private?
Yes. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored anywhere.
Can I copy the styled text?
Yes. Each style has a Copy button that copies it to your clipboard for pasting anywhere.
What is the difference between strikethrough and crossed-out?
Strikethrough uses a single line (U+0336), while crossed-out uses an X-like overlay (U+0337 or U+0338) for a different visual effect.
Does this work with numbers and symbols?
Combining characters work with most letters and some symbols. Numbers may have limited combining character support.
Is there a character limit?
No hard limit, but very long text with combining characters may be slower to render and paste.