To achieve or score something, especially a victory, record, or total.
To get or win something, like a point or a record.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To achieve a win, record, or score, especially in sport or competition.
"The team notched up their fifth consecutive victory last Saturday."
"They have notched up an extraordinary sequence of results."
— The Guardian, sports section (general attribution, widely attested phrasing)
To accumulate a number or total of something over time.
"By the end of the tour, the band had notched up over two million ticket sales."
To carve a notch upward on a tally stick — historically used to record scores.
To get or win something, like a point or a record.
Common in sports journalism and business contexts. Slightly more British than American. The metaphor comes from cutting notches in a stick to keep score.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "notch up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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