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

• 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

While his all-situations scoring dipped last year, most of that can be chalked up to struggles on the power play. —The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025

The group’s operating profit jumped 40 percent in the third quarter, chalked up to an improved customer offering, strict cost controls and better gross margins, against a smaller store footprint and relatively flat sales growth. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025

The explanation for the recent surge in beef prices is complex, but essentially chalks up to an issue of supply and demand. —Emma Wozniak, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025

Ferguson chalks up the brand’s success not just to the dependable menu, but to how staff interacts with patrons. —Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 22 Sep. 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