grow up

verb

grew up; grown up; growing up; grows up

intransitive verb

1
a
: to grow toward or arrive at full stature or physical or mental maturity : to progress from childhood toward adulthood
growing up intellectually
grew up in the city
also : to become an adult
She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
b
: to stop thinking or behaving in a childish way
He should grow up and accept his responsibilities.
2
: to begin to exist and develop as time passes
A number of cities grew up along the river.

Examples of grow up in a Sentence

everyone has to grow up at some point in their lives
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rather than ask who among us could be capable of such violence, the series examines why so many boys are growing up to be angry, misogynistic men. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025 Cornejo arrived with his sister, Pamela, who’s also his manager; her childhood best friend who grew up across the street; his cousin; and his creative director, Ozzie. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025 Liang himself grew up in Guangdong province, which is part of the Greater Bay Area, which has emerged as one of several Chinese regional concentrations of tech companies and talent. Bryan Penprase, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 Flagg, who grew up in Maine, finished his high school basketball career at Montverde Academy in Florida. Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grow up

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of grow up was in 1535

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grow up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grow%20up. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

grow up

verb
: to grow toward or reach full mental and physical growth

More from Merriam-Webster on grow up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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