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How to Delete Multiple Overlapping Arrows in Excel

Olivia Miller Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to delete hundreds of overlapping red arrows or shapes in an Excel worksheet without having to click and remove them individually.

How to Delete Multiple Overlapping Arrows in Excel

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Cleaning up an Excel worksheet cluttered with multiple overlapping shapes, arrows, or drawing objects.
Observed behavior: Deleting overlapping shapes one at a time is difficult, time-consuming, and inefficient for worksheet management.

Before you start

Ensure you save a backup of your worksheet before mass-deleting shapes, just in case you accidentally select and remove important charts or functional buttons.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Select Objects Tool to Delete Multiple Arrows

Excel's Select Objects feature allows you to draw a selection box around multiple shapes at once, making it easy to delete them together.

When dealing with hundreds of overlapping arrows, deleting them one by one is highly inefficient. Using the Select Objects mode changes your cursor so it only interacts with shapes, images, and text boxes instead of spreadsheet cells.

Enable Select Objects

Navigate to the Home tab on the Excel ribbon, click on 'Find & Select' in the Editing group, and choose 'Select Objects' from the drop-down menu.

Select the Overlapping Arrows

Click and drag your cursor to draw a rectangular selection box completely around the overlapping arrows you want to remove.

Delete the Shapes

Once all the intended arrows are highlighted, press the 'Delete' key on your keyboard to remove them simultaneously.

Exit Selection Mode

Click 'Select Objects' again under the 'Find & Select' menu or press the 'ESC' key to return to normal cell selection mode.

Quick Tip: If you want to select all objects in the entire worksheet, you can press 'Ctrl + G', click 'Special', select 'Objects', and click 'OK' before pressing Delete.

WPS Spreadsheet Tip

Quickly Delete Multiple Arrows and Shapes in WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Office provides an intuitive and free Spreadsheet tool that makes handling multiple objects, shapes, and arrows incredibly simple. You can mass-delete overlapping elements in seconds.

1. Open Your File in WPS: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the document containing the overlapping arrows.
2. Access the Selection Tool: Go to the Home tab, click on 'Find and Replace', and choose 'Select Objects'.
3. Drag and Delete: Drag a box around the arrows to select them all, then press the Delete key to remove them.

Easily select and delete multiple overlapping arrows or shapes in one click.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx and .xls) files and formats.Lightweight, fast, and completely free to use for daily spreadsheet tasks.Familiar ribbon interface requires no learning curve to master.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete specific types of shapes but keep others?

Using the 'Select Objects' tool manually selects everything within the drag box. To delete specific types, use the 'Selection Pane' (Page Layout > Selection Pane) where you can hold Ctrl and click specific arrows to delete without affecting other shapes.

Why can't I click on cells after using Select Objects?

When 'Select Objects' is enabled, normal cell selection is disabled to allow you to drag and select shapes. You must turn the feature off by pressing ESC or deselecting it in the 'Find & Select' menu to edit cells again.

Is there a shortcut to select all arrows in the worksheet at once?

Yes. Press Ctrl + G to open the Go To dialog, click on 'Special', choose 'Objects', and click OK. This will select all shapes, arrows, and charts on the current sheet, allowing you to delete them all by pressing the Delete key.

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