chalks up

verb

present tense third-person singular of chalk up
1
as in attributes
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 wins
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

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.
Recent Examples of chalks up Nvidia easily chalks up more sales in a quarter than its next three largest rivals combined. — Ian King, Fortune, 20 May 2026 Mamdani chalks up the friendly encounters to these New York ties. — Sophia Vento, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2026 Player of the Week Junior outside hitter Briggs Corona chalks up 38 kills, 35 digs, eight aces and six blocks in five matches for the host RedHawks and was named all-tournament at the Marist Invitational. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026 With a wry chuckle, McCartney chalks up these cornball elements of his TV specials and other outings to the perils of being surrounded by yes people. — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 25 Feb. 2026 The properties are arranged by their defining natural element (Aspen, Pine, Oak, Ryegrass)—a decision Kayne chalks up to her Virgo tendencies. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2026 The explanation for the recent surge in beef prices is complex, but essentially chalks up to an issue of supply and demand. — Emma Wozniak, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025 Ferguson chalks up the brand’s success not just to the dependable menu, but to how staff interacts with patrons. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 22 Sep. 2025 That feeling was one EYB chalks up to Panhandle House and the return home to Denton. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chalks up
  1. attributes
  2. wins
  3. ascribes
  4. achieves
  5. attains
  6. gains
  7. scores
  8. makes
Verb
  • SpaceX attributes the rest of its revenue to Starlink and AI.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Zhu attributes the brand’s success not to any particular localization strategy, but rather, her team’s dedication to meeting their customers’ shopping needs.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of attributes
Verb
  • The threat of the penalties if the SEC eventually wins either the Louisiana case or the federal lawsuit temporarily won the day.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Its practice of permitting construction projects at the same time in adjoining areas, causing the most inconvenience to vehicular traffic, wins the award for most perversity.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of wins
Verb
  • One automatically ascribes fraud to results that are often predictable, even routine; the other dismisses legitimate concerns as conspiracy theories.
    — Andrew E. Busch, The Conversation, 23 July 2026
  • In line with the science of his time, which said that lunar craters were volcanic, Verne ascribes his flickering light to an eruption.
    — Neil Oseman, Space.com, 14 June 2026
Definition of ascribes
Verb
  • Toyota's 2027 Prius achieves a whopping 57 miles per gallon in the city and 56 miles per gallon on the highway.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Tests showed the bio-material achieves a compressive strength of 10 to 12 megapascals.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of achieves
Verb
  • During its orbit, S301 attains speeds more than 100,000 times faster than a commercial airliner—over eight percent the speed of light.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
  • By the end of the novel, Sun Wukong attains Buddhahood.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
Definition of attains
Verb
  • The route at Thousand Steps Beach in South Laguna gains roughly 250 feet in elevation within a quarter mile from the sand to the highest point of the Ninth Avenue hill.
    — Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Then as now, the acquirer gains access to and control over leading open-source development, collaboration, discovery, and distribution platforms that, when properly leveraged, drive more demand for their core businesses.
    — , CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of gains
Verb
  • In the final moments of the game, Chad scores the game-winning touchdown, but a penalty sets them back with just two seconds left on the clock.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The compilation returns to multiple rankings across the Atlantic and even scores the singer-songwriter her first leader on one tally.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scores
Verb
  • The high degree of ship and combat automation makes the boat with its comprehensive systems and equipment easy to control in all situations.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The center makes the protection calls, and often, zone runs cut vertically toward the center.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of makes

Browse Nearby Words

chalking up
chalks up
chalk up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chalks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chalks%20up. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All