grow up
verb
grew up; grown up; growing up; grows up
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
My favorite box set growing up was the Led Zeppelin one.
—
Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Drennan, 43, grew up helping his brothers and uncles build derby cars and later competed in a few derbies himself.
—Sean Clancy, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025
One listen to the song confirmed it — the same southern California accent I’d grown up with was in full bloom.
—Mimi Pond, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Robinson, a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program who grew up in the small suburban community of Washington, Utah, was arrested following a 33-hour manhunt that drew national attention and fueled a wave of misinformation online.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grow up
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.
Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Drennan, 43, grew up helping his brothers and uncles build derby cars and later competed in a few derbies himself.
—Sean Clancy, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025
One listen to the song confirmed it — the same southern California accent I’d grown up with was in full bloom.
—Mimi Pond, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Robinson, a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program who grew up in the small suburban community of Washington, Utah, was arrested following a 33-hour manhunt that drew national attention and fueled a wave of misinformation online.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grow up
Cite this Entry
“Grow up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grow%20up. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share