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

The Organization of American States has so far not documented any manipulation and other experts chalked up the vote count delays to incompetence rather than fraud. —Reuters 7 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025

Part of the slowdown can be chalked up to a glut of available housing, with builders finishing more multiunit homes in 2024 than any year in the last half century, according to Zillow. —Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2025

Coach Tyronn Lue chalked up their second-half letdowns to fatigue and sloppy play; the Clippers are averaging seven turnovers in the third quarters. —Janis Carr, Oc Register, 29 Nov. 2025

Much of the credit for the explosion of interest in the league’s showcase can be chalked up to Madden’s gleeful takeover of the holiday and the Cowboys’ dynastic ’90s run. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Nov. 2025

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