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

Most people experience some combination of these without connecting them to a nutrient gap — because the signs are easy to chalk up to stress, aging or a busy season of life. —Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026

Management chalking up the early exit to fatigue from two deep runs and injuries to McDavid, Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Jason Dickinson, and Adam Henrique, among others. —Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026

But as Presley would later admit, this furiously productive period can’t entirely be chalked up to a burst of divine inspiration; his most fruitful years also ran parallel to his opioid addiction. —Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026

The days of the secluded mathematician chalking up a blackboard have largely given way to a collaborative spirit as math has become increasingly technical. —Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 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