Excel Keyboard Shortcuts to Delete a Row

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. If you select only a cell first, Ctrl+- opens a dialog; choose Entire row and confirm.

The fastest way to delete a worksheet row

The shortcut works in two stages: first select the row you mean to remove, then issue the delete command. Click a cell in the row and press Shift+Space. Excel highlights the row across the worksheet. Press Ctrl+- to delete that selected row. When a whole worksheet row is selected, Excel generally removes it directly rather than asking which cells to shift.

You can also select a row by clicking its numbered header at the left edge of the worksheet. To remove several neighboring rows, drag across their row numbers, or select the first row and Shift-click the last. Then press Ctrl+-. The rows below the deleted ones move upward to fill the space; Excel does not leave an empty gap.

One row: select a cell in it, press Shift+Space, then Ctrl+-.
Several adjacent rows: select all their row headers, then press Ctrl+- once.
One cell or a range of cells: press Ctrl+- and choose whether to shift cells, delete a row, or delete a column.

The minus key is the important part of the second shortcut. Ctrl++ is a different command used to insert cells or rows. On some keyboard layouts, reaching the minus character may require a different physical key combination, so follow the character printed on the key or use the ribbon command if the shortcut does not register.

Why selecting the row first matters

Excel distinguishes between deleting a row and deleting the contents of cells. Pressing the Delete key by itself usually clears the contents of the selected cells; it does not remove their worksheet rows. Ctrl+- is the delete-cells command. What it removes depends on the selection.

If just one cell is selected, Excel cannot infer whether you want to close the gap vertically, close it horizontally, remove the whole row, or remove the whole column. It therefore presents a Delete dialog. Choose Entire row to remove the worksheet row containing the selected cell. Selecting the row first makes your intent clear and avoids that extra choice.

Check the row-number area before confirming a deletion. A highlighted row header indicates that a whole worksheet row is selected. If only a small cell range is highlighted, Ctrl+- may shift cells rather than delete the entire row. That distinction matters when nearby columns contain unrelated data: shifting a few cells can misalign records even though the worksheet still looks filled in.

Deleting multiple rows and filtered data

For a continuous block, select every row to remove before using Ctrl+-. For example, if rows 8 through 10 are obsolete, select those three row headers and delete once. Rows 11 onward move up by three positions. This is usually safer than deleting each row individually because it reduces repeated actions and makes the size of the selection easier to inspect.

Nonadjacent rows require more care. You can use Ctrl-click on row headers to build a noncontiguous selection, but deleting separated areas can be less predictable than removing one continuous block, especially when filters or grouped rows are involved. If the records are in a filtered list, do not assume that selecting a visible row means only that visible record will be removed. Hidden rows or other selected rows may also be affected, depending on the selection.

Before deleting from filtered data, consider converting the task into a deliberate table-row deletion: inspect the visible records, select the specific table rows, and use the table-row delete command. If the purpose is only to hide records temporarily, keep the data and use a filter instead. Filtering is reversible and does not remove records from formulas or other sheets.

Worksheet rows versus Excel table rows

An Excel table is a structured data region with features such as filter buttons and automatic expansion. A table row is not always the same thing as a worksheet row: a worksheet row may contain notes or other data outside the table. Deleting the entire worksheet row removes everything on that row, not just the table record.

When you want to remove a record from a table but preserve other cells on the same worksheet row, select the table row and use its table-row delete option. A common route is to right-click in the table row and choose Delete > Table Rows. The wording and available menu items can depend on where you right-click. Confirm that the option says Table Rows rather than Sheet Rows when information outside the table must stay in place.

Conversely, if the entire worksheet row is obsolete, select its row header and use Ctrl+-. That removes the row across the worksheet, including cells outside the table. This is a useful distinction when a worksheet combines a formal table with side notes, calculations, or a separate summary area.

Other ways to delete a row

The shortcut is quick, but the ribbon and context menu provide useful alternatives when you are learning Excel or using a keyboard that makes the minus combination awkward. In the Windows desktop app, select the row and choose Home > Delete > Delete Sheet Rows. The command name makes clear that the whole worksheet row will be removed.

You can also right-click a row number and choose Delete. This is straightforward for a single row and avoids the Delete dialog that appears when only cells are selected. To insert a row instead, use the corresponding insert command; do not confuse insertion with deletion when using keyboard shortcuts near the minus and plus keys.

Excel for the web offers row-header and ribbon-based deletion as well. Browser shortcuts can compete with Excel shortcuts, and keyboard behavior may depend on the browser and where focus is placed. If Ctrl+- changes browser zoom or does not act on the worksheet, select the row number and use the worksheet’s ribbon or context menu instead.

What happens to formulas and formatting

Deleting a row changes the worksheet structure. Rows beneath it move up, so cell addresses and ranges may change. Excel updates many formulas that refer to cells affected by the deletion, but a formula can return #REF! if the referenced cell or range is removed in a way that leaves the reference invalid. Formulas in other sheets, charts, named ranges, and external links may also need a quick review after a structural change.

Formatting and data validation in the deleted row go with that row. If a row is removed from the middle of a formatted area, the rows that move up bring their own contents and formatting with them; the result may not match the appearance you expected. For a high-impact change, save the workbook first or check the selection carefully before confirming.

If you delete the wrong row, press Ctrl+Z immediately to undo the action. Undo can reverse a recent deletion, but it is not a substitute for a backup: later actions can make it harder to return to the exact earlier state, and closing a workbook can affect the available undo history. For a workbook stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, version history may provide another recovery option, depending on the file and account settings.

Using the shortcut on Mac

In Excel for Mac, select the row with Shift+Space and use Control+- to delete it. Mac keyboard layouts and system settings can affect how the minus key is entered, so if that combination does not work, select the row and use Excel’s menu or contextual delete command. The Windows Ctrl+- shortcut should not be assumed to mean Command+- on a Mac.

As on Windows, selecting only a cell can bring up a choice of what to delete. Choose the entire row when that is the intended result. For a table record, use the table-row deletion option if you need to preserve other worksheet cells that happen to share the same row.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to delete a row in Excel?
On Windows, press Shift+Space to select the current row, then Ctrl+- to delete it. On Mac, use Shift+Space followed by Control+-; the menu command is an alternative if the keyboard layout differs.

How do I delete a row without a confirmation dialog?
Select the entire row first using Shift+Space or by clicking its row number, then press Ctrl+- on Windows. If you select only a cell, Excel asks what kind of deletion you want.

Does pressing Delete remove an Excel row?
No. The Delete key normally clears the contents of selected cells. To remove a worksheet row, select it and use Ctrl+- on Windows, or choose the sheet-row delete command.

How do I delete several rows at once?
Select the adjacent row headers for all rows you want removed, then press Ctrl+- on Windows. Review the highlighted range first; deleting rows shifts everything below the selection upward.

How do I delete a row from an Excel table only?
Right-click in the table row and choose Delete > Table Rows. This removes the table record without deleting the entire worksheet row, which helps preserve unrelated cells outside the table.

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

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