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 After growing up around his uncle’s Mexican place, K-Macho’s Restaurant & Cantina, Emilio Romero has caught the restaurateur bug. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2024 Lozano, who grew up in Laredo, Texas, is the first female Olympic fighter in any sport from her hometown, which sits near the border with Mexico. Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024 One nominee was Jacqueline Becerra, who grew up in Hialeah, and is a graduate of the University of Miami and Yale University Law School. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 3 June 2024 Stories of the torture and hardship these party members endured helped turn many of them into heroes in the eyes of South Africa and the world — a reputation that kept many voters who grew up under apartheid undyingly loyal to the party. John Eligon, New York Times, 1 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for grow up 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grow up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near grow up

Cite this Entry

“Grow up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grow%20up. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.

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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