Forum Discussion
merge cells
An alternative: In the attached I've just used Excel's Conditional Formatting tool to draw a heavy border around the "target cells." As mtarler has pointed out, you can't use a formula to accomplish a literal merging of the cells--and even if you could, merged cells have their own down-side, depending on what you're doing with the spreadsheet. His questions to you are all worth considering--what exactly do you have in mind when you say you want them "merged"?
My suggestion accomplishes a "visual merge"--and in this case I just use a border; you could add color as well--and it does depend on the word "Suspended" being in cell I9, as requested. So it's not a literal merge, but it looks like it.......
What really will work for you depends a LOT on what you actually have in mind.