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After a few hours testing I only got it to work this way

1. Open a new TextEdit document (I'm using TextEdit version 1.6).
2. If the ruler is not showing hit Command-R to bring it up.
3. Select the 'Styles' drop down menu in the top left corner. Choose "Struck through".
4. Select the Styles drop down menu and choose 'Other…'.
5. With Document styles selected, hit 'Add To Favorites'.
6. A dialog window pops up and asks you to 'Type a name for the style'. I entered 'Struck through' and so over-wrote the original style. You may prefer to leave the default setting in tact and type your own name eg My Struck through'. Leave the other options unchecked and hit 'Add'.
7. Open System Preferences and then Keyboard.
8. Click the '+' button at the bottom.
9. In the dialog window which appears, select TextEdit from the Application drop down menu, in the 'Menu Title' area type in 'Styles/' and the name you gave your style (in my case, I left the name unchanged and so 'Styles/Struck through') NOTE* This is the specific name of the action you wish to shortcut so get it right! Also NOTE* You do have to add or replace the style ie it won't work on the default style, 'Struck through'!
10. In 'Keyboard Shortcut' type your desired shortcut (I went for command+alt+- ie minus sign).
11. Click 'Add' and now if I select the 'Styles' drop down menu 'Struck through' will have the shortcut next to it.

NOTE* As pointed out in earlier posts, the shortcut works ONLY when the ruler is visible, you type the action exactly right and you actually over-write (or add) a style.
 
This is how I handle it in Lion.

First make any text to strikethrough style typing cmd+t, under TextStrikethrough drop down menu select your prefered style.

Then highlight any text, using shortcommand alt+opt+v for strikethroughe style.

Mabye there are other ways? I would prefer it to be as simples as cmd+"x".
 
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Changes in 10.7.4 ?

9. In the dialog window which appears, select TextEdit from the Application drop down menu, in the 'Menu Title' area type in 'Styles/' and the name you gave your style (in my case, I left the name unchanged and so 'Styles/Struck through') NOTE* This is the specific name of the action you wish to shortcut so get it right! Also NOTE* You do have to add or replace the style ie it won't work on the default style, 'Struck through'!

• Despite your exact explanation (Thank you!) it still took me an hour to get this to work in Textedit. I'm still not 100% sure why I couldn't get it to work before, I think I might have defined the new style in the document instead of the "Favorite styles", but also:
• For me (OS X 10.7.4, Mail 5.2, Dutch localisation) the 'Styles.../' should be left out, else it doesn't work!!!
• Also, someone mentioned it doesn't work if you define it for Textedit only.
• BTW watch out: The system control panel now let's you define the same keyboard shortcut twice without warning you. It did warn in older versions.
• I had to define a 'Standaard' shortcut to for undoing a struck through, it doesn't 'toggle' like bold or italic does if you use the shortcut.
• Now the keyboard shortcut I gave it (CMD-ALT-/) works fine in Textedit, but still not in Mail.. where I need it most!

Idea's anybody?
 
Text Edit (1.7.1) has in the top-left corner a Pilcrow sign and in it's drop-down menu you'll find the "strike through" among other styles.
 
Please stay on topic

Check the subject. It's not about whether it's possible with a drop-down menu, it's how to strike-through text with a keyboard shortcut.
 
• Despite your exact explanation (Thank you!) it still took me an hour to get this to work in Textedit. I'm still not 100% sure why I couldn't get it to work before, I think I might have defined the new style in the document instead of the "Favorite styles", but also:
• For me (OS X 10.7.4, Mail 5.2, Dutch localisation) the 'Styles.../' should be left out, else it doesn't work!!!
• Also, someone mentioned it doesn't work if you define it for Textedit only.
• BTW watch out: The system control panel now let's you define the same keyboard shortcut twice without warning you. It did warn in older versions.
• I had to define a 'Standaard' shortcut to for undoing a struck through, it doesn't 'toggle' like bold or italic does if you use the shortcut.
• Now the keyboard shortcut I gave it (CMD-ALT-/) works fine in Textedit, but still not in Mail.. where I need it most!

Idea's anybody?

Thank you!! I tried this in TextEdit 1.7.1 running OS X 10.7.5, and it worked!

Here's what I did (just in case someone wants another point of view):

  1. Open TextEdit, type some text, and highlight it
  2. In the top left corner of the window, click on the button with the paragraph symbol and select "Struck through". The text that you highlighted should now be struck through (and still highlighted).
  3. Click on the paragraph button again but this time select "Styles..." (or alternatively, go to Format > Font > Styles). Your struck through text should appear in the dialog window.
  4. Click on "Add to Favorites"
  5. Type in "Struck through" and then click "Add" and then "Replace"
  6. Now open System Preferences and go to Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts
  7. Click on the plus sign
  8. Select "All Applications" for the Application (if you select TextEdit, it won't work)
  9. Type in "Struck through" for the menu title
  10. Type in your desired shortcut (e.g., Ctrl-Cmd-S) for the Keyboard Shortcut and then click "Add"
  11. Go back to TextEdit (closing and reopening the application is not necessary)
  12. Click on the paragraph button again
  13. The "Struck through" style should have the keyboard shortcut listed next to it
  14. Try using the shortcut to strike through some text! It works!!

I want to be able to make a similar shortcut for the Default style so I can remove the strike through if I want to. However, if I try to save the Default style as a favorite, it disappears when I quit TextEdit and reopen it again. Actually, I can't replace the "Default" listing with the same name but instead I have to give it a new name (e.g., "My Default"). Otherwise, it won't ask me if I want to replace the name and instead it will create an additional "Default" listing, and the shortcut won't work. When I give it a new name, the shortcut works while I still have the application open, but once I quit and reopen, the style listing is gone. This only happens for the Default style (when I haven't made any style changes to the text). Even if I specify that I want to save the font as part of the style, the listing still disappears.

Has anyone else been able to make a shortcut for the Default style (using TextEdit 1.7.1)?
 
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Strike Through

APPLE Strike-Through formatting in MS WORD - select the text then apply (COMMAND + SHIFT + X) works great!
 
@KiwiGoneDutch thanks for the mention of the Pilcrow menu.

@snipper I personally looked for a way to achieve strikethrough formatting in TextEdit with as little interaction as possible. A shortcut my preferred method. But as this is not possible (still not in TextEdit on macOS 11 Big Sur) the Pilcrow menu is at least the quickest of the available methods. So @KiwiGoneDutch 's mention was placed here well intended and proofed useful!
 
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