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

• accredit
• ascribe
• attribute
• credit
• impute
• lay
• put down

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

That said, chalk up a fifth straight division win, a 12-5 record, and a trip to the AFC Championship game against who else but the Kansas City Chiefs. —Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2024

On Friday, Coco Gauff—just 20, but no stranger to chalking up records, firsts, and number one rankings—will join LeBron James in hoising the flag to lead the nearly 600-strong American team into the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. —Corey Seymour, Vogue, 24 July 2024

Stirling chalks up her reaction to being a longtime gymnastics fan and knowing Lee’s comeback from being sidelined from her kidney disease. —Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2024

In Clare, a rural town about 150 miles northwest of Mount Clemens, Gene and Cindy Gibson chalked up the lack of excitement to a broader malaise. —Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2