chalk up

verb

chalked up; chalking up; chalks up
Synonyms of chalk upnext

transitive verb

1
: ascribe, credit
chalked up his failures to inexperience
2
: attain, achieve
chalk up another victory

Synonyms of chalk up

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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.
Burk chalked up the weekend issues to not fully anticipating the type of crowd that would be attending the two nights of Banana Ball. — Idaho Statesman, 6 Aug. 2026 The victory brought a measure of redemption to the equine athlete as well, chalking up another win against his chief rival Commandant. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Counterpoint's Research Director Tarun Pathak chalked up the strong performance to sustained demand for the iPhone lineup, especially the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026 This can’t be chalked up to a small sample or a rounding error. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 22 July 2026 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

Rhymes for chalk up

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Browse Nearby Words

chalk talk
chalk up
chalkware
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chalk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalk%20up. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chalk up

Nglish: Translation of chalk up for Spanish Speakers

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