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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.
Helsley combusted during his time with the Mets this past summer, but a good chunk of that failure could be chalked up to pitch tipping. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025 Prime 4 picks up after the trilogy and its handheld spin-offs Hunters (2006) and Federation Force (2016), with the latter two mostly chalking up to footnotes except for the inclusion of the new game’s main antagonist, Sylux. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025 Meanwhile, total enrollment in CMS has remained relatively stagnant over the past five school years, so the difference can’t be chalked up to a higher overall student population. Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2025 Because since people don’t necessarily understand fame, a lot of things can just be chalked up to fame. Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 13 Nov. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Chalk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalk%20up. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

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