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

In the 1980s, there were fears that the Open, which quickly outgrew the Singer Bowl (renamed the Louis Armstrong Stadium), would leave the city. — Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2026

In its five years, Ulysses Development Group has outgrown its Cherry Creek office space four times. — Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026

Aggressive plants can outcompete other plants for resources and outgrow the space allotted to them. — Dr. Lauren Kurtz, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026

Where To Donate Soles4Souls Whether your kids have already outgrown their new shoes or your shoe rack needs a good clean-out, Soles4Souls accepts any size or style of shoes that are still in wearable condition. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 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