# chalk off

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chalk-off
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

To mark a task as finished or to record an achievement. You use this when you want to show that you have completed one part of a larger goal.

For teachers: To record the completion of a task or a success. This transitive verb often implies a sense of progress through a list or a series of milestones and is primarily found in British English.

## Examples

- She chalked off the last few days before her holiday.
- By the end of the afternoon, the team had chalked off every major task on the project checklist.
- The explorer chalked off each milestone of the arduous journey, documenting his progress in a weathered leather journal as he neared the summit.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I chalked off my success to hard work." but "I chalked up my success to hard work." — 'Chalk off' means to complete a task, whereas 'chalk up to' is the correct phrase for attributing a result to a specific cause.

## Usage notes

- Usually takes a task, a goal, or a period of time as its direct object.
- Teaching tip: Use the image of a chalkboard to help students visualize recording a score or crossing out a finished item; contrast with 'tick off' for general lists.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.