How to Remove Dashes in Excel

Excel is a powerful tool that enables you to organize, analyze, and manipulate data in various ways. However, sometimes the data you work with may not be in the format you need. For example, you may have a dataset that contains dashes or hyphens, which can make it difficult to work with. Fortunately, Excel provides several tools that you can use to remove dashes from your data. In this article, we will show you how to remove dashes in Excel.

Method 1: Using Find and Replace

The first method to remove dashes in Excel is by using the Find and Replace tool. This tool is useful when you have a large dataset and need to replace multiple instances of a dash at once.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Open your Excel workbook and select the column or range of cells that contain the dashes you want to remove.

  2. Press the “Ctrl + H” keys on your keyboard to open the Find and Replace dialog box.

  3. In the “Find what” field, enter the dash symbol (-).

  4. In the “Replace with” field, leave it blank if you want to remove the dash entirely or enter the character you want to replace it with.

  5. Click the “Replace All” button to replace all the dashes in the selected range.

Method 2: Using the SUBSTITUTE Function

The second method to remove dashes in Excel is by using the SUBSTITUTE function. This function replaces one text string with another text string. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Open your Excel workbook and select the cell where you want to remove the dash.

  2. Type the following formula in the formula bar:

=SUBSTITUTE(cell reference,”-“,””)

In the formula, replace “cell reference” with the reference of the cell containing the dash.

  1. Press Enter to apply the formula to the cell. The dash will be replaced with nothing, effectively removing it from the cell.

Method 3: Using the Text to Columns Feature

The third method to remove dashes in Excel is by using the Text to Columns feature. This feature splits a cell into separate columns based on a specified delimiter. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Open your Excel workbook and select the column that contains the dashes you want to remove.

  2. Click on the “Data” tab in the ribbon and select “Text to Columns” from the “Data Tools” group.

  3. In the “Convert Text to Columns” wizard, select “Delimited” and click “Next.”

  4. In the “Delimiters” section, select “Other” and enter the dash symbol (-).

  5. Click “Finish” to split the cells into separate columns based on the dash delimiter. You can then delete the column(s) containing the dash.

Conclusion

Excel provides several methods to remove dashes from your data, including Find and Replace, the SUBSTITUTE function, and the Text to Columns feature. By following these methods, you can efficiently clean up your data and make it easier to work with.