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

Haddad, growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, needed someone to barge into his life like Auntie Mame. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026

Earlier this year, Troy Williams told a reporter about his difficult childhood growing up in the projects in New York City. — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026

With two older brothers (Drew and Dylan, the latter of whom is a sophomore for FCS-level Campbell) and growing up in the small town of Zoarville, Ohio, he’s used to playing against older and tougher competition. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026

Gen Z has grown up with recommendation engines, and the SAP data shows that comfort translates directly into purchase intent, not just browsing. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 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