chalk up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal, idiomatic
Quick answer
What does “chalk up” mean?
To attribute an event, especially a success or failure, to a particular cause.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To attribute an event, especially a success or failure, to a particular cause; to record or score something.
To achieve or register something, often used informally to mean 'to get' or 'to earn', as in 'chalk up a win'. Can also mean to ascribe or credit something to someone or something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is very similar. Slightly more common in sports reporting in American English.
Connotations
In both, implies a somewhat casual recording or attribution.
Frequency
Fairly common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “chalk up” in a Sentence
SUBJ + chalk up + OBJ (e.g., a win)SUBJ + chalk + OBJ + up + to + CAUSEVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chalk up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The team chalked up another impressive win at home.
- He chalked his early success up to good luck and hard work.
American English
- The startup chalked up its first profitable quarter.
- She chalked the setback up to poor communication.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
We can chalk up the quarterly loss to unexpected market volatility.
Academic
The researcher chalked up the anomalous results to a calibration error in the equipment.
Everyday
Let's just chalk up that burnt dinner to a learning experience!
Technical
The system chalks up each transaction before processing the batch.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chalk up”
- Using 'chalk up' without an object (e.g., 'We chalked up.'). It is transitive.
- Confusing with 'chock up' (to block or wedge).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily informal or neutral, common in journalism and everyday speech, but less suitable for very formal academic or legal writing.
Yes, it can be used for both positive (wins, successes) and negative things (losses, failures, mistakes).
It comes from the practice of recording debts or scores on a slate or chalkboard in pubs and shops.
They are very similar synonyms. 'Rack up' can sometimes imply accumulating a larger number or total more forcefully.
To attribute an event, especially a success or failure, to a particular cause.
Chalk up: in British English it is pronounced /tʃɔːk ʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /tʃɑːk ʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Chalk it up to experience.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a bartender using chalk on a slate to mark up a customer's tab. 'Chalking up' a drink means adding it to their bill.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACHIEVEMENT IS A RECORD ON A BOARD (like a scoreboard or tally).
Practice
Quiz
What is the closest meaning of 'chalk up' in this sentence: 'The rookie pitcher chalked up ten strikeouts in his debut.'?