growing pains
plural noun
1
: pains in the legs of growing children having no demonstrable relation to growth
2
: the stresses and strains attending a new project or development
Examples of growing pains in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Boasting the third-youngest roster in the NBA, the growing pains are going to be unavoidable.
—
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
The Knicks have had growing pains all season long.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Companies that have experimented with fully automating certain parts of their workload have dealt with growing pains.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Proponents of private credit see the sudden exodus of capital as more of a sign of growing pains than a systemic flaw.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for growing pains
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Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
The Knicks have had growing pains all season long.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Companies that have experimented with fully automating certain parts of their workload have dealt with growing pains.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Proponents of private credit see the sudden exodus of capital as more of a sign of growing pains than a systemic flaw.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for growing pains
Cite this Entry
“Growing pains.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/growing%20pains. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
growing pains
noun plural
grow·ing pains
ˈgrō-iŋ-ˌpānz 
: pains occurring in the legs of growing children having no demonstrable relation to growth
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