According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor memory device, includes forming a stacked body on a substrate by alternately stacking a first insulating film and a second insulating film, making a through-hole extending in a stacking direction of the first insulating film and the second insulating film to pierce the stacked body, forming at least a portion of a blocking insulating film, a charge trap film, and a tunneling dielectric film of a MONOS on an inner surface of the through-hole, forming a channel semiconductor on the tunneling dielectric film, making a trench in the stacked body, removing the second insulating film by performing etching via the trench, and filling a conductive material into a space made by the removing of the second insulating film.