diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 20f68fd2..9b66a567 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ export(left_border)
 export(left_border_color)
 export(left_border_style)
 export(left_padding)
+export(merge_cells)
 export(na_string)
 export(number_format)
 export(odds)
diff --git a/R/properties.R b/R/properties.R
index ad27c0b3..0427e1aa 100644
--- a/R/properties.R
+++ b/R/properties.R
@@ -372,6 +372,38 @@ make_getter_setters('colspan', 'cell', check_fun = is.numeric, extra_code = {
 )
 
 
+#' Merge ranges of cells
+#'
+#' @param ht A huxtable.
+#' @param row A row specifier. See [rowspecs] for details. Note that both `row` and `col` must be
+#'   specified.
+#' @param col A column specifier.
+#'
+#' @details
+#' `merge_cells(ht, c(min_row, max_row), c(min_col, max_col))` is equivalent to
+#' ```
+#'   colspan(ht)[min_row, min_col] <- max_col - min_col + 1
+#'   rowspan(ht)[min_row, min_col] <- max_row - min_row + 1
+#' ```
+#' @return The `ht` object.
+#'
+#' @export
+#'
+#' @examples
+merge_cells <- function (ht, row, col) {
+  assert_that(is_huxtable(ht))
+  row <- get_rc_spec(ht, row, 1)
+  col <- get_rc_spec(ht, col, 1)
+  mr <- min(row)
+  mc <- min(col)
+  cs <- diff(range(col)) + 1
+  rs <- diff(range(row)) + 1
+  colspan(ht)[mr, mc] <- cs
+  rowspan(ht)[mr, mc] <- rs
+
+  ht
+}
+
 check_span_shadows <- function (ht, rc, value) {
   value[is.na(value)] <- 1L
   dcells <- if (rc == 'row') display_cells(ht, new_rowspan = value) else display_cells(ht, new_colspan = value)
diff --git a/man/merge_cells.Rd b/man/merge_cells.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cdb28700
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/merge_cells.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/properties.R
+\name{merge_cells}
+\alias{merge_cells}
+\title{Merge ranges of cells}
+\usage{
+merge_cells(ht, row, col)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{ht}{A huxtable.}
+
+\item{row}{A row specifier. See \link{rowspecs} for details. Note that both \code{row} and \code{col} must be
+specified.}
+
+\item{col}{A column specifier.}
+}
+\value{
+The \code{ht} object.
+}
+\description{
+Merge ranges of cells
+}
+\details{
+\code{merge_cells(ht, c(min_row, max_row), c(min_col, max_col))} is equivalent to\preformatted{  colspan(ht)[min_row, min_col] <- max_col - min_col + 1
+  rowspan(ht)[min_row, min_col] <- max_row - min_row + 1
+}
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-set-interface.R b/tests/testthat/test-set-interface.R
index 3ef1206e..7e2b7d9a 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-set-interface.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-set-interface.R
@@ -219,6 +219,26 @@ test_that('set_outer_borders() works with non-standard/empty position arguments'
 })
 
 
+test_that('merge_cells() works as expected', {
+  ht <- hux(a = 1:3, b = 1:3)
+  expect_silent(ht2 <- merge_cells(ht, 1, 1:2))
+  expect_silent(ht2 <- merge_cells(ht2, 2:3, 1))
+  expect_equivalent(colspan(ht2), matrix(c(2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1), 3, 2))
+  expect_equivalent(rowspan(ht2), matrix(c(1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1), 3, 2))
+
+  expect_silent(ht3 <- merge_cells(ht, 1, everywhere))
+  expect_equivalent(colspan(ht3), matrix(c(2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1), 3, 2))
+
+  expect_silent(ht4 <- merge_cells(ht, 1:2, 1:2))
+  expect_equivalent(colspan(ht4), matrix(c(2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1), 3, 2))
+  expect_equivalent(rowspan(ht4), matrix(c(2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1), 3, 2))
+
+  expect_silent(ht5 <- merge_cells(ht, c(1, 3), 1))
+  expect_equivalent(rowspan(ht5), matrix(c(3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1), 3, 2))
+
+})
+
+
 test_that('where() works as expected', {
   dfr <- data.frame(a = 1:3, b = letters[1:3], d = 3:1, stringsAsFactors = FALSE)
   expect_equivalent(where(dfr == 3), matrix(c(3, 1, 1, 3), 2, 2))