In other words, you want to format cells that *don't contain the word StopX"
?

Select the *entire* range of cells starting from cell A1.
Goto the menu FormatConditional Formatting
Select the Formula Is option
Enter this formula in the box on the right:
=COUNTIF(A1,"stop*")=0
Click the Format button
Select the desired style(s)
OK out

--
Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP


"BaseballFan" wrote in message
...
I'd like to conditionally format a range of cells, but the range is
dynamic.
For instance, I'd like to format A1:A20, but I only know to stop at A20
because cell A21 has the text "Stop1". I'd then like to format A22:A40,
but
I only know to start at A22 and stop at A40 because it's after the Stop1
A41
has the text "Stop2".

Where "Stop1" and "Stop2" are actually at is dynamic... Stop1 may appear
at
A5 on a short list of items, but may go all the way down to A100 on a
longer
list.

Essentially, I'd like to format downward until I hit that "Stop#" value,
and
then start again until I hit the next stop value.