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
With its growth in recent years, the WNBA outgrew the small arena inside the casino, and probably have outgrown Hartford, a top 30 market, despite a 15,000 seat arena in Hartford that could be just the right size.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
The leaders who succeed will be the ones who acknowledge that the job has outgrown its title, and the boards that succeed will be the ones that stop assuming the job description on file still matches the job–and start building the structures, pipeline, and executive support the role now demands.
—Aslesha Mehta, Fortune, 26 May 2026
The current Mendota Heights city hall was built in 1989, and the city has greatly outgrown its 20,000-square foot space.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 25 May 2026
But the operation quickly outgrew that spot.
—Dana Hedgpeth The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for outgrow
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Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
The leaders who succeed will be the ones who acknowledge that the job has outgrown its title, and the boards that succeed will be the ones that stop assuming the job description on file still matches the job–and start building the structures, pipeline, and executive support the role now demands.
—Aslesha Mehta, Fortune, 26 May 2026
The current Mendota Heights city hall was built in 1989, and the city has greatly outgrown its 20,000-square foot space.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 25 May 2026
But the operation quickly outgrew that spot.
—Dana Hedgpeth The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 24 May 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 31 May. 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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