
π This article includes 1 downloadable practice file β
In this article
REDUCE is SCAN that returns only the final result β useful for repeated clean-up steps.
Syntax
=REDUCE(initial_value, array, LAMBDA(acc, value, calculation))
| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
array |
Values to process one by one. |
Examples
Example 1
=REDUCE(A2, {"-","/"," "}, LAMBDA(t, c, SUBSTITUTE(t, c, "")))
Remove several characters from a code in one formula.
REDUCE in practice
Where you will use it
- Running calculation that returns one value
- Apply several replacements in turn
- Custom totals
Worked example
| Case | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | =CHOOSE(A2,REDUCE(0,{1,2,3,4},LAMBDA(a,v,a+v^2)),REDUCE(1,{1.1,1.2,0.9},LAMBDA(a,v,a*v)),REDUCE("Shimti Pune",{"Shimti","Pune"},LAMBDA(a,v,SUBSTITUTE(a,v,UPPER(v))))) | 30 |
| 2 | =CHOOSE(A3,REDUCE(0,{1,2,3,4},LAMBDA(a,v,a+v^2)),REDUCE(1,{1.1,1.2,0.9},LAMBDA(a,v,a*v)),REDUCE("Shimti Pune",{"Shimti","Pune"},LAMBDA(a,v,SUBSTITUTE(a,v,UPPER(v))))) | 1.188 |
| 3 | =CHOOSE(A4,REDUCE(0,{1,2,3,4},LAMBDA(a,v,a+v^2)),REDUCE(1,{1.1,1.2,0.9},LAMBDA(a,v,a*v)),REDUCE("Shimti Pune",{"Shimti","Pune"},LAMBDA(a,v,SUBSTITUTE(a,v,UPPER(v))))) | SHIMTI PUNE |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Accumulator first | LAMBDA(acc, value, ...) |
| Need every step | Use SCAN |
Related functions
SCAN Β· LAMBDA Β· SUBSTITUTE
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π Practice files for this article
- πPractice workbook: Logic, LET & LAMBDA17 tasks on realistic sales data β type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.β¬ XLSX Β· 35 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text β import them with Alt+F11 β File β Import File, and always test on a copy.
Atul (AJ) builds office-automation and local-first AI tools as Atulya AI, and works with Excel, SAP and Oracle EPM every day. He writes about the shortcuts, macros and automations that actually save time β plus the occasional wacky fact. Videos on YouTube: Lazy Automator AI (@LazyAutomatorAI).
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This page is a quick function reference. Use it for syntax, then practise the function in a broader workflow.
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