# chalk up

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chalk-up
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to achieve or record

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to achieve something good, like a victory or a high score, and add it to your total.

For teachers: to achieve or register a success, victory, or specific amount. Transitive and often used in competitive or financial contexts.

- The team managed to chalk up another win during their final game of the season.
- By the end of the third quarter, the corporation had chalked up record profits, exceeding even the most optimistic analyst projections.

Usage: Always takes a direct object, which is usually the achievement or amount being recorded.

### 2. to attribute to a cause

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to say that something happened because of a particular reason, especially to learn from it.

For teachers: to attribute a particular event or outcome to a specific cause, often as a way of dismissing or explaining a failure.

- We can chalk the mistake up to experience and try again tomorrow.
- The sudden drop in engagement was chalked up to a technical glitch in the algorithm rather than a lack of interest from the audience.

Usage: Commonly used in the pattern 'chalk something up to something'.

Teaching tip: This sense is frequently used with 'experience' or 'bad luck' to suggest that a failure should be viewed as a lesson.

## Examples

- The team managed to chalk up another win.
- By the end of the quarter, the sales department had chalked up record profits despite the slow start.
- The veteran politician chalked up yet another legislative victory, further cementing his reputation as a master of backroom negotiations.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: explain the origin of writing scores on a chalkboard in a pub or shop to help students visualize 'recording' a number.

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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.