What Is the Shortcut for Deleting Cells in Excel? How to Delete and Shift Cells Quickly

Learn the Excel shortcut to delete cells and shift remaining cells left. Quick tips to efficiently manage your spreadsheet with Ctrl + '-' and context menu options.

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The shortcut for deleting cells in Excel varies slightly depending on the action you want to take. To delete selected cells and shift the remaining cells left, use Ctrl + '-' (minus). After pressing this combination, you'll typically see a dialog asking how you want to shift cells to replace the deleted ones. For a more direct action, right-click on the selected cells, then choose 'Delete' from the context menu, followed by the desired cell shifting option.

FAQs & Answers

  1. How do I delete cells and shift others up in Excel? Select the cells you want to delete, press Ctrl + '-', and choose the option to shift cells up in the dialog box.
  2. What is the keyboard shortcut to delete entire rows in Excel? To delete an entire row, select the row and press Ctrl + '-' (minus) which will prompt a dialog to delete entire row.
  3. Can I customize the delete cell shortcut in Excel? No, Excel does not allow customization of the default delete cell shortcut Ctrl + '-'. However, you can use the right-click context menu for more options.

Watch More

For more efficient Excel usage, explore our guides on keyboard shortcuts for inserting rows and columns, plus tips on managing large datasets. These tutorials will help you become an Excel power user.

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