chalk up

idiom

The phrase "chalk up" originates from the practice of using chalk to keep score on a board, and it has evolved to include various figurative meanings.

🇺🇸 US Voice:

🇬🇧 UK Voice:

Definition

B2General

(informal)To achieve or accumulate a particular result or score.

Example

The team chalked up another victory last night.
He has chalked up several awards for his work.

B2General

(informal)To attribute or credit something to a particular cause or factor.

Example

Let's chalk up her lateness to the heavy traffic.
They chalked up the mistake to a simple misunderstanding.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "chalk up":

chalk off chalk down rack up chalk out mark down chalk talk chuck up mark off keep score tot up cast up one's accounts tally on reckon up check off score off hack up square up heap up cast up ring up run up add up mark up stack up