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Synonyms

bring up

British  

verb

  1. to care for and train (a child); rear

    we had been brought up to go to church

  2. to raise (a subject) for discussion; mention

  3. to vomit (food)

  4. (foll by against) to cause (a person) to face or confront

  5. (foll by to) to cause (something) to be of a required standard

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bring up Idioms  
  1. Raise from childhood, rear. For example, Bringing up children is both difficult and rewarding . [Late 1400s]

  2. Introduce into discussion, mention, as in Let's not bring up the cost right now . [Second half of 1800s]

  3. Vomit, as in She still felt sick but couldn't bring up anything . This usage was first recorded in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719).


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Dr. David Schonfeld, director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, said there is no single right age to bring up the date.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 11, 2026

“When you bring up children, so much of your energy is reacting to ‘Oh, he’s sick.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 10, 2026

The 29-year-old moved away from Greenock to work but came back to bring up her child.

From BBC Aug. 21, 2026

Jamelle Bouie: I would bring up some other examples, too.

From Slate Aug. 10, 2026

It was just like Henry to bring up something like this right now.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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