# how to delete duplicates in a row on excel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-delete-duplicates-in-a-row-on-excel/270165>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 20, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-delete-duplicates-in-a-row-on-excel/270165 "2004-10-20T03:33:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-delete-duplicates-in-a-row-on-excel/270165/1 "2004-10-20T03:33:55Z")

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how do I delete duplicates from a row of 500 numbers in one column using excel?

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-delete-duplicates-in-a-row-on-excel/270165/2 "2004-10-20T03:55:10Z")

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Your question doesn’t really make any sense. How can one have a row of 500 numbers in one column? Do you have one cell that contains a list of 500 numbers?

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**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-delete-duplicates-in-a-row-on-excel/270165/3 "2004-10-20T11:48:03Z")

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If you meant a column of numbers rather than a row…

1. Sort the column (we’ll assume the column begins in cell A2) in ascending order.
2. In cell B2 type the formula: =IF(A3=A2,1,0)
3. Copy that formula down the same number of rows that are in column A.
4. Use auto filter to show only the rows that have 1’s in column B and delete those rows. The formulas in column B will probably show #REF! after you delete the rows but it doesn’t matter at that point.
