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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bono chalked up the fatherly emotional neglect to being an Irish thing. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025 McBride, however, chalks up her rejection to a simpler reason. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025 Sadness, hopelessness and depression too often get chalked up to adolescent angst or growing pains. Sara Feigenholtz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025 In part, this shift can be chalked up to the visual- and envy-driven world that social media has ushered in. Meagan Francis, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chalk up

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of chalk up was in 1877

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chalk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalk%20up. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on chalk up

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