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.

Synonyms of grow up

• grow
• progress

Examples of grow up in a Sentence

everyone has to grow up at some point in their lives

Recent Examples on the Web

Nonetheless, the current talks with representatives of the Cuban government has resonated differently, in good part because the chief negotiator for the United States is Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who grew up in Miami and who enjoys broad credibility in the exile community. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026

Jackson grew up in segregated Greenville, South Carolina. —ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026

Chakrabarti grew up in Texas, the son of immigrants from Bangladesh. —Lauren Toms, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026

Young is pure New York, having grown up at Sleepy Hollow when his father was the head pro. —Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for grow up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

grow up

verb

: to grow toward or reach full mental and physical growth