outgrow
verb
out·grow
ˌau̇t-ˈgrō 
outgrew
ˌau̇t-ˈgrü
; outgrown
ˌau̇t-ˈgrōn
; outgrowing
; outgrown
ˌau̇t-ˈgrōn
; outgrowing
1
: to grow or increase faster than
… mankind is outgrowing food supplies.—
R. C. Murphy
R. C. Murphy2
: to grow too large or too mature for
outgrew his best suit
the need to outgrow the habit of war—Norman Cousins
Norman CousinsExamples of outgrow in a Sentence
Kids outgrow their clothes so quickly.
The plant has outgrown my garden.
Our business is outgrowing its small office building.
She's outgrown most of her toys.
I realized that I had outgrown my old high school friends.
Recent Examples on the Web
The festival — which originated in 1978 as the United States Film Festival, before being taken over by the Sundance Institute — has outgrown its location and will be held next year in Boulder, Colorado.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Mason had outgrown his crib, and his parents had been forced to modify it for safety — adding pool noodles to the frame and installing a specialized safety net.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
But others believe that Sundance has outgrown the town, which has become a glossy vacation destination for the 1% instead of a shaggy getaway for artsy types.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Trimming to control height and width prevents your Japanese maple from outgrowing the space.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outgrow
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David Morgan, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Mason had outgrown his crib, and his parents had been forced to modify it for safety — adding pool noodles to the frame and installing a specialized safety net.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
But others believe that Sundance has outgrown the town, which has become a glossy vacation destination for the 1% instead of a shaggy getaway for artsy types.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Trimming to control height and width prevents your Japanese maple from outgrowing the space.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outgrow
Cite this Entry
“Outgrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outgrow. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outgrow
verb
out·grow
(ˈ)au̇t-ˈgrō
1
: to grow faster than
2
: to grow too large or too mature for
outgrew their clothes
outgrow playing with dolls
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