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
The next step is to outgrow the novelty and become medal contenders, something Stokes says Jamaica can do by the 2034 Games in Salt Lake City.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
The convention had outgrown multiple venues from its inception, with attendance and vendors expanding each year.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
A couple of years ago, the company outgrew its old space and took over a turnkey lease from the messaging company Slack.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Often, these cute plushies make their way to a thrift store after their first owner has outgrown them.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outgrow
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Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
The convention had outgrown multiple venues from its inception, with attendance and vendors expanding each year.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
A couple of years ago, the company outgrew its old space and took over a turnkey lease from the messaging company Slack.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Often, these cute plushies make their way to a thrift store after their first owner has outgrown them.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 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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