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How to remove specific characters in Excel and Google Sheets

Topic:Text manipulation
Excel & Google Sheets
=SUBSTITUTE(A2, "-", "")

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Step by step

  1. 1A2 is the text to clean.
  2. 2"-" is the character to remove; "" replaces it with nothing.
  3. 3Nest calls to remove several: =SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2, "-", ""), " ", "").

Tips

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Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.

Frequently asked

How do I remove more than one character?

Nest SUBSTITUTE — each layer removes one character: =SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2, "-", ""), "/", "").

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Formulas used

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