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

Now, however, with soccer exploding in popularity across the U.S., is the league beginning to outgrow those humble surroundings? —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024

The population was outgrowing the country’s oil revenues. —Jennifer Peck, Foreign Affairs, 19 June 2024

As a group whose songs about drugs, alcohol and heartbreak always appealed primarily to the youth, had its original fans outgrown them while younger generations viewed it as a legacy act? —Josh Chesler, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024

June 7, 2024 5 AM PT Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options SAN DIEGO — San Diego’s one-stop shop for domestic violence victims has outgrown its downtown headquarters and needs a larger spot to accommodate additional expansion plans and new social service partnerships. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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