1
as in to attribute
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 to achieve
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 chalk up
Some of this can easily be chalked up to the off-season nature of my trip, as well as the novelty of the itinerary: never before has a cruise ship visited these ports in winter, because never before has a ship, like the Charcot, been capable of operating in the ice.
—
Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2025
To that end, the THR article posits that some of the actions Lively dinged Baldoni for in her lawsuit — constant hugging, over-sharing — could be chalked up to misunderstandings tied to his faith.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2025
Economist Torsten Slok chalked up the misgivings to storm clouds out of the White House as President Donald Trump and his lieutenant Elon Musk seek to slash the federal bureaucracy through job cuts.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
Chief among other factors, Napoleon’s ultimate defeat at Waterloo in 1815 can be chalked up to this dearth of capable personnel.
—Pat Fallon, National Review, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chalk up
Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2025
To that end, the THR article posits that some of the actions Lively dinged Baldoni for in her lawsuit — constant hugging, over-sharing — could be chalked up to misunderstandings tied to his faith.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2025
Economist Torsten Slok chalked up the misgivings to storm clouds out of the White House as President Donald Trump and his lieutenant Elon Musk seek to slash the federal bureaucracy through job cuts.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
Chief among other factors, Napoleon’s ultimate defeat at Waterloo in 1815 can be chalked up to this dearth of capable personnel.
—Pat Fallon, National Review, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chalk up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chalk up
Verb
-
Although the opioid epidemic in America has posed a real and significant public health threat resulting in at least 645,000 deaths since the epidemic began, major progress has been made with significantly less deaths directly attributed to fentanyl.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Voto holds up a silk-wool kimono with an elaborate nuit de chine scene—originally a 1920s dress attributed to Jean Patou, which Estrada found at auction, practically in fragments.—
Laura Regensdorf,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In many regions, this time-consuming task prevents them from fully participating in education or income-generating activities, caring for family, and achieving their potential.—
Matt Damon,
TIME,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run.—
John Buckingham,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Needless to say, the thinking of OPEC+ ministers is not transparent, but there is a long history of pundits to ascribing the group’s (especially by the Saudis) as being driven by non-economic, political motivations.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Columbia University Apartheid Divest ascribed the crackdown to outside pressure.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Maryland had won the previous two meetings with Florida but dropped to 2-3 in the all-time series.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Olympic Heights, which finished in fifth place in both 2023 and 2024, won the Class 2A Large Non-Tumbling Division.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Globally, fewer than 1% of adults from the poorest households attain a bachelor’s degree, compared to over 10% from affluent backgrounds.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Niebuhr believed that while the highest moral achievements could be attained only by individuals, constructive social change was possible only by working together for justice.—
Scott Paeth,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The iPhone maker is used to grappling with a challenging market in China – particularly as domestic tech brands gain more traction in the country.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
-
LaVar Ball first gained national attention in 2016, as the loquacious former athlete began predicting that all three of his sons would play in the NBA, going as far as to compare his eldest son, Lonzo, favorably to four-time NBA champion Steph Curry.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The stealth nature and structure of the agreement in addition to the comments made by Caesars and Icahn strongly indicate that this is a very amicable arrangement, and that Icahn is confident in management’s ability.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The 2 carat, elongated radiant natural diamond on a 14-karat yellow gold band was custom made at Lux Bond & Green in West Hartford, Connecticut.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chalk up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chalk%20up. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share