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.
The lawmaker-lawyers can chalk up three hours of credit by simply attending one day of a legislative session, a committee meeting or a subcommittee hearing, according to the new rule. Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025 The former Commerce official in Trump’s first term chalked up the new tariff threats to the president’s lack of discipline and lack of understanding about what economic uncertainty does to companies. Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 23 May 2025 DeBoer chalked up some of it to the Jets being a dominant defensive team, but the fact is, what was good enough to win two rounds was not going to be good enough to win three or four. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 22 May 2025 Seek care as needed While stuffy noses and dry eyes are often chalked up to allergies, Parikh noted that other factors could be at play. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 11 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chalk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalk%20up. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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