1
as in attributing
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
let's chalk up her weird behavior to simple nervousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in achieving
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chalking up
His first taste of international cricket was a chastening experience, chalking up the worst bowling figures for an England ODI debutant with 0-76 off seven overs against South Africa at Headingley.
—
James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chalking up
Verb
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But with officials attributing nearly 90% of waterway pollution to encampments, the city also had to reduce the impacts from the unhoused population as part of its permit, which proved a costly endeavor last year.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Cinema sometimes has to know how to give in to a cause, but another thing entirely is to impoverish cinema by attributing to documentary cinema a mere and strict role of denunciation.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cosmedica’s advantage is its process aimed at achieving a soft, age-appropriate, and natural-looking hairline that blends into everyday life.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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As a means of achieving political change, the boycott is ill-conceived, targeting a vital source of artistic dissent rather than policy makers.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Poor luck plagued him, but ascribing all of this outing to misfortune is misguided.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
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Over subsequent decades, this credo would face challenges, including from New Deal–era progressives wary of rich men ascribing to charity what was properly the realm of the state and of McCarthyite conservatives targeting philanthropic foundations as part of anticommunist fearmongering.—
Mark Malloch-Brown,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Jan. 2024
Verb
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Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pregame and postgame media.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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Grammy Award-winning artist Doja Cat is slated to join the Puerto Rican rapper as the music guest.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cassidy, a full-time teacher, was just six months away from attaining her degree in education, while Connor had recently been promoted in her role as a personal assistant.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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Professional dancers can be laser focused on attaining physical perfection.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Honer, a former college diver, moved to Nashville in 2024 after gaining viral success.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
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For OnePay, which benefits from its ties with the world’s largest retailer, there are signs that its mobile app is gaining traction, even before the crypto rollout.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By law, half of the 20,000 available scholarships are required to go to families with no income cap, meaning even those making $1 million or more could qualify.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
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While local residents hope a new plant could bring economic growth, unanswered questions about use of the additional land are making some uneasy.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite A'ja Wilson scoring 31 points, Vegas couldn't get enough from the rest of the team and lost 90-83.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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And Michigan's third grade reading scores have been stubborn, with the proportion of students scoring proficient or higher declining significantly from 2016 to 2025, from 46% of third graders at or above proficiency a decade ago to 39% on the test this spring.—
Lily Altavena,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chalking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chalking%20up. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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