as in growing
to become mature
everyone has to grow up at some point in their lives
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Recent Examples of growing up
The kid in question was Dustin Pedroia, who Murphy coached at Arizona State from 2002-04, and who Durbin idolized growing up.
—
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Brzustewicz was a star in minor hockey growing up who really returned to that form in his final year of junior after a bit of a winding road.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
How a childhood experience shaped Lucas' views As a child growing up in Ohio, Lucas experienced a series of events that would shape her views on employment and civil rights.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
Those back-in-my-day clichés about growing up in midcentury America — walking a mile to school, working a paper route, playing outside until the streetlights clicked on — paint a fairly accurate picture of a kind of American childhood that’s all but vanished.
—Stephen Johnson, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment are in this curious predicament, as the two actresses played BFFs growing up in the Disney hit Hannah Montana.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026
Blume made growing up less alienating for her readers, but there were limits to her project of destigmatization.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Inspired by the two authors' real-life childhood diaries, the show explores every stage of womanhood from growing up to getting older and laughing all the way.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Duff sat down with Fallon to discuss the album and her tour, as well as growing up as Lizzie Maguire.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
Brzustewicz was a star in minor hockey growing up who really returned to that form in his final year of junior after a bit of a winding road.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
How a childhood experience shaped Lucas' views As a child growing up in Ohio, Lucas experienced a series of events that would shape her views on employment and civil rights.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
Those back-in-my-day clichés about growing up in midcentury America — walking a mile to school, working a paper route, playing outside until the streetlights clicked on — paint a fairly accurate picture of a kind of American childhood that’s all but vanished.
—Stephen Johnson, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment are in this curious predicament, as the two actresses played BFFs growing up in the Disney hit Hannah Montana.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026
Blume made growing up less alienating for her readers, but there were limits to her project of destigmatization.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2026
Inspired by the two authors' real-life childhood diaries, the show explores every stage of womanhood from growing up to getting older and laughing all the way.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Duff sat down with Fallon to discuss the album and her tour, as well as growing up as Lizzie Maguire.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growing up
Verb
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Rising energy costs and supply-chain disruptions pose a considerable downside risk to the world's fastest-growing major economy.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
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Brown pointed to ongoing concerns in his district about road capacity and infrastructure needs, including efforts to expand NC 160 in the fast-growing Steele Creek area.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After birth, human beings undergo infant and toddler development, moving on to child development before progressing to puberty and adolescence on the way to adulthood.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Times analysis showed that both communities were still progressing well behind the pace of Santa Rosa after the 2017 Tubbs fire, with about half as many permits issued in the Palisades as a percentage of those burned and two-thirds in Altadena in the same period.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His reelection in 2025 sparked widespread protests that left at least four people dead, signaling growing tensions between the mostly young population and its aging leader.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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About two-thirds of the nation’s estimated $7 trillion in annual spending covers the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs, as well as Social Security income, which are essentially growing — along with an aging population — on autopilot.—
Lisa Mascaro,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Growing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growing%20up. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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