chalk up

verb

chalked up; chalking up; chalks up

transitive verb

1

: ascribe, credit

chalked up his failures to inexperience

2

: attain, achieve

chalk up another victory

Synonyms of chalk up

• attribute
• ascribe

Examples of chalk up in a Sentence

let's chalk up her weird behavior to simple nervousness

chalked up a record in singles tennis that is likely to stand for a long time

Recent Examples on the Web

Maybe part of the frenzy might be chalked up to the idea that in times of uncertainty, people want to collect pieces that feel solid, both literally and figuratively. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026

Most of all, Kay praises the formula for its smoothing and radiance-boosting effects, which can be chalked up to humectants like glycerin and propylene glycol, plus brightening Japanese persimmon leaf extract and camellia seed oil. — Jenny Berg, InStyle, 19 Aug. 2026

The reason the remains were found now can quite likely be chalked up to the concerning drop in water levels at the lake. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

The privacy concerns are real—from the suit to data collection, and even the social media content made with the tech has left people chalking up Meta Glasses as a form of surveillance. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for chalk up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup