VS Code · Shrink selection
Selection
Windows · Linux
Shift+Alt+LeftMac
Ctrl+Cmd+Shift+LeftPeels the syntax layers back off one at a time; it is the twin of expand, so overshooting by one layer costs nothing.
- Group
- Selection
- Keys held
- 3
Learn the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P) and you can skip memorising the rest — type a feature name and its shortcut is listed beside it.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Shrink selection in VS Code?
Peels the syntax layers back off one at a time; it is the twin of expand, so overshooting by one layer costs nothing. It is Shift+Alt+Left on Windows and Ctrl+Cmd+Shift+Left on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Shift+Alt+Left on Windows, Ctrl+Cmd+Shift+Left on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Selection in VS Code.
Shortcuts nearby
Expand selectionShift+Alt+RightAdd a cursor with the mouseAlt+ClickAdd cursor aboveCtrl+Alt+UpAdd cursor belowCtrl+Alt+DownAdd cursor at next occurrenceCtrl+DSelect every occurrence of the selectionCtrl+Shift+LSelect every occurrence of the wordCtrl+F2Cursor at the end of every selected lineShift+Alt+I