outgrow

verb

out·​grow ˌau̇t-ˈgrō 

outgrew ˌau̇t-ˈgrü  ; outgrown ˌau̇t-ˈgrōn  ; outgrowing

transitive verb

1

: to grow or increase faster than

… mankind is outgrowing food supplies.

—R. C. Murphy

2

: to grow too large or too mature for

outgrew his best suit

the need to outgrow the habit of war

—Norman Cousins

Examples 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

The doctor said there was a possibility the fibroid would degenerate during the pregnancy, but Williams said by four months the fibroid had outgrown the baby, leading to a miscarriage. — Gayle King, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

For small businesses that have outgrown manual spreadsheets, that’s a straightforward way to cut down on bookkeeping data entry. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026

Francis had decided on the move because the material was outgrowing its current storage spaces, which include a vast underground bunker. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

However, the brand keeps telling an older story that’s rooted in an earlier chapter the company has already outgrown. — Priya Gill, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outgrow

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

outgrow

verb

out·​grow (ˈ)au̇t-ˈgrō 

outgrew -ˈgrü  ; outgrown -ˈgrōn  ; outgrowing

1

: to grow faster than

2

: to grow too large or too mature for

outgrew their clothes

outgrow playing with dolls