1
as in attributed
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
let's chalk up her weird behavior to simple nervousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in achieved
to obtain (as a goal) through effort
chalked up a record in singles tennis that is likely to stand for a long time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of chalked up
But every so often there comes a day that is so different—so unusual—so spectacular that its happening can only be chalked up to old-fashioned, knee-slapping good luck.
—
Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Mike Tilly tallied 18 digs and Kevin Collins chalked up 13 assists.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The appointment where pain was chalked up to stress.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
However, seeing the obviously unwell Jane continually fly off the handle is challenging to watch, especially since her behavior is chalked up to bad nerves and a desperate desire to find a man who will save her from herself.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Instead, Vance’s name was left out of the conversation, which Ross chalked up to speakers — a number of whom were elected officials — not wanting to cross the White House.
—Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
The tobacco industry, which was a major donor to Trump’s presidential campaign as well as to his White House ballroom, has chalked up a number of wins since his administration took office.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 13 Mar. 2026
The biggest difference between the regions, most agree, is the talent level, which can simply be chalked up to an area’s population.
—Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026
The result of any one baseball game can be traced back to pitching changes or lineup decisions – but it can also be chalked up to an extra inch of break on a pitch or a millisecond of hesitation on a swing.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Mike Tilly tallied 18 digs and Kevin Collins chalked up 13 assists.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The appointment where pain was chalked up to stress.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
However, seeing the obviously unwell Jane continually fly off the handle is challenging to watch, especially since her behavior is chalked up to bad nerves and a desperate desire to find a man who will save her from herself.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Instead, Vance’s name was left out of the conversation, which Ross chalked up to speakers — a number of whom were elected officials — not wanting to cross the White House.
—Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
The tobacco industry, which was a major donor to Trump’s presidential campaign as well as to his White House ballroom, has chalked up a number of wins since his administration took office.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 13 Mar. 2026
The biggest difference between the regions, most agree, is the talent level, which can simply be chalked up to an area’s population.
—Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026
The result of any one baseball game can be traced back to pitching changes or lineup decisions – but it can also be chalked up to an extra inch of break on a pitch or a millisecond of hesitation on a swing.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chalked up
Verb
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Prosecutors declined to pursue charges, and the streamer attributed the outcome to his appearance.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The Census Bureau attributed the slowdown largely to declining net international migration.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The film directed by Vivian Sorenson and Jonathan Nastasi invites viewers to reevaluate the current American food system which has achieved massive scale, delivery of cheap calories to consumers and immense profits to mega corporations but at the expense of healthy food and sustainable practices.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Mar. 2026
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America has already achieved an important objective by restoring credibility to our deterrence since military power is worthless if adversaries don’t believe this power will ever be employed.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the start of the year, Jacob Elordi sat on the Jimmy Kimmel sofa to promote Wuthering Heights, wearing a pair of off-white Bottega Veneta loafers that were not quite ballet flats, but ascribed to this hybrid style (though many users compared them to ballet flats online).—
Jack Stanley,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
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Economists generally have calculated that whatever economic growth could be ascribed to the change would be washed out by the revenue loss from inflation-indexing only new purchases, and utterly swamped by the cost of indexing all holdings, past and future.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The company, which won fans with perks like free WiFi, has struggled to keep up with higher-end carriers like United and Delta, while losing discount-seeking customers to Spirit and Frontier.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
His 1995 solo album Cold Virginia Night won Album of the Year at the IBMA, and its title track won Song of the Year — a rare double recognition that cemented his standing as both a performer and a writer.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Few sandwiches in the pantheon of great sandwiches have attained the status of the Italian combo.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Alon had worked in the family’s security business in the Miami area, while Oren and Tal attained fame and fortune as luxury real estate brokers in New York City and Miami.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But what is ultimately to be gained by making this a hammy, Neil Simon-esque romp?—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The story quickly gained traction across the platform, receiving more than 29,000 upvotes and over 2,600 comments, and turning a single photo into a large-scale online conversation.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 6-foot-10, 265-pound Chinyelu made as big a jump as any player in the SEC.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Another miss for Miller Miller made his ninth Sweet 16 appearance in 21 seasons, the most of any coach who hasn’t reached the Final Four.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 28 points for the Cavaliers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel also scored, and Pontus Holmberg added an empty-netter in the final half-minute.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chalked up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chalked%20up. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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