Excel Key to Delete a Row: Shortcut and Options

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Shift+Space to select the current row, then press Ctrl+- (Ctrl and the minus key) to delete it. This removes the entire worksheet row and shifts rows below it upward; pressing the Delete key alone only clears cell contents.

The row-delete shortcut, step by step

The shortcut works in two parts: first select the row, then issue the delete command. Click a cell in the row you want to remove, press Shift+Space, and check that the row is highlighted across the worksheet. Then press Ctrl+-.

Click any cell in the row to be removed. For example, click D12 to target row 12.
Press Shift+Space. Excel selects the whole worksheet row, not just the cell you clicked.
Press Ctrl+-. Because a whole row is selected, Excel deletes that row rather than asking which cells to shift.

Afterward, the former row 13 becomes row 12, and rows beneath it move up by one. If you select only a cell or a smaller range before pressing Ctrl+-, Excel may show a Delete dialog asking whether to shift cells left, shift them up, delete the entire row, or delete the entire column. Choose Entire row when that is what you intend.

What Ctrl+- does—and what it does not do

Ctrl+- is Excel’s keyboard command for deleting selected cells, rows, or columns. The selection determines the scope. With a full row selected, it removes the row. With one cell selected, Excel needs to know how to rearrange neighboring cells, so it presents deletion choices. With a full column selected, it removes the column.

This is different from pressing the keyboard’s Delete key. Delete clears the contents of selected cells, such as numbers, text, or formulas, but leaves the cells and row positions in place. For example, clearing A12 does not move A13 into A12. The row-delete shortcut removes the row itself, so references, formatting, and content can be affected as Excel adjusts the worksheet.

Deleting a row is also different from hiding it. A deleted row is removed from the worksheet structure; a hidden row remains in the workbook and can be shown again. If you might need the data later, hide the row or move its contents to an archive sheet rather than deleting it.

Using the ribbon or right-click menu

If you do not remember the shortcut, Excel provides commands that make the operation visible. Select a cell in the target row, then choose Home > Cells > Delete > Delete Sheet Rows. The command removes the worksheet row containing the active cell.

You can also click the row number at the left edge of the sheet to select the whole row, right-click the row heading, and choose Delete. Selecting the row heading first is useful because it makes the scope clear before you act. In Excel for the web, the ribbon and context menu are also available, though the exact layout can vary with the window size and interface updates.

Keyboard: Shift+Space, then Ctrl+-.
Ribbon: Home > Cells > Delete > Delete Sheet Rows.
Context menu: Right-click the row number and choose Delete.

These methods delete the same kind of worksheet row when used on an ordinary range. The ribbon and context menu can be easier to verify when working in a shared or important workbook because the command is labeled rather than represented by a key combination.

Deleting more than one row

For several adjacent rows, select the first row and drag down across the row numbers, or select a cell in the first row and extend the selection with Shift+Space followed by Shift+Down as needed. Then use Ctrl+- once. Excel removes all selected rows together, and the rows beneath the selection move upward by the number of rows deleted.

For example, if you select rows 8 through 10 and delete them, the old row 11 moves into row 8. If the rows to delete are separated, you can select multiple row headings using Ctrl-click on Windows and then use the delete command. Before deleting nonadjacent rows, check the highlighted row numbers carefully; an incorrect selection can remove records from different parts of the sheet in one operation.

When rows are being removed because they meet a condition—such as orders marked Cancelled—consider sorting or filtering first, then inspect the visible selection before deleting. A safer alternative for important data is to copy the matching records to another sheet or save a separate workbook copy before removing them.

Excel for Mac and Excel for the web

In Excel for Mac, Shift+Space selects the row containing the active cell. The delete-cells shortcut is generally Control+- (Control and minus), rather than Command and minus. Keyboard layouts and Mac settings can affect which physical key produces a minus sign, so the row-heading context menu is a dependable alternative: select the row, open its context menu, and choose Delete.

Excel for the web supports row deletion through the ribbon and context menu. Keyboard shortcuts can depend on the browser and operating system, and a browser may reserve some key combinations. If Ctrl+- does not perform the expected action, select the row number and use the context menu or the ribbon’s Delete Sheet Rows command. The row-selection and deletion concepts remain the same.

Tables, filters, and hidden rows

Excel tables have their own row structure and contextual commands. To remove a record from a table, select a cell in that table row, right-click, and choose Delete > Table Rows when that option is shown. This removes the table record and lets the table adjust. Deleting a worksheet row while the selection is outside the table, by contrast, affects the sheet row itself. If your goal is to remove one record but preserve other worksheet content on the same row, use the table-row command.

Filtering needs particular care. A filter hides records that do not match; it does not delete them. If you select and delete only the visible filtered records, check the selection and command carefully so that hidden records are not unintentionally affected. In particular, avoid assuming that a visible group of rows is a continuous block: row numbers may skip because intervening records are hidden. For a high-stakes cleanup, copy the filtered results to a new sheet, verify them, and remove records only after confirming the intended set.

Rows can also be hidden manually. A row that is hidden may be hard to distinguish from a deleted one because the row numbers skip, but it is still present. Select the row headings on either side of the gap, right-click, and use Unhide if you need to reveal it. If you are unsure whether the data is merely hidden, try unhiding before recreating or restoring anything.

Undo, recovery, and precautions

For an accidental deletion, press Ctrl+Z promptly on Windows to undo it; on Mac, use Command+Z. Undo can restore the deleted row and its contents, provided you have not performed later actions that you need to keep. If the workbook has already been saved or closed, recovery depends on available backups, version history, or AutoRecover; it is not guaranteed.

Before removing rows from a workbook that matters, consider these precautions:

Confirm the row numbers and check that the highlighted selection covers only intended records.
Save a copy of the workbook before a large cleanup.
Use a filter or a temporary helper column to review which records match your removal rule.
Remember that formulas elsewhere may refer to cells in the deleted rows; Excel adjusts many references, but verify important totals and reports afterward.

Deleting rows can change chart source ranges, named ranges, formulas, and the apparent order of data. Excel commonly updates cell references when rows are removed, but that does not mean every dependent report will still reflect your intended business logic. A quick review of key formulas and charts is sensible after bulk deletion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to delete a row in Excel?
On Windows, select the row with Shift+Space, then press Ctrl+-. On Mac, use Shift+Space and Control+-; if the shortcut is inconvenient, right-click the selected row heading and choose Delete.

Does the Delete key remove an Excel row?
No. Delete clears the contents of selected cells but leaves the row in place. Use Ctrl+- after selecting the row, or choose Delete Sheet Rows from the Home tab.

How do I delete a row without a mouse?
Move to a cell in the row, press Shift+Space to select the full row, and press Ctrl+- on Windows. If Excel presents a Delete dialog, choose Entire row and confirm.

Can I delete several rows at once?
Yes. Select the row headings for the adjacent rows—or multiple row headings for separate rows—then press Ctrl+- on Windows. Check the selection before confirming so unrelated records are not removed.

How do I remove a row from an Excel table?
Right-click a cell in the table record and choose Delete > Table Rows when available. That removes the table record; deleting a sheet row removes the worksheet row and may affect cells outside the table.

Why did Ctrl+- open a dialog instead of deleting the row?
Excel shows deletion choices when the selection is a cell or partial range rather than a complete row. Select the row first with Shift+Space, or choose Entire row in the dialog.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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