grow up
Britishverb
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to reach maturity; become adult
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to come into existence; develop
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Become an adult, as in Sam wants to be a policeman when he grows up . [First half of 1500s]
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Come into existence, arise, as in Similar social problems grew up in all the big cities . [Late 1500s]
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Become mature or sensible, as in It's time you grew up and faced the facts . This usage may also be in the form of an imperative (as in Don't bite your nails—grow up! ) [Mid-1900s]
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.
After snapping several selfies with Wong-Young, Ramirez added that some of his favorite memories of the diner were of seeing Wong-Young grow up and help her parents with the restaurant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
It had previously forecast sales to be flat or to grow up to 3% organically, resulting in revenue of 20.4 billion to 21.4 billion euros.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"But now it's actually startup people and you want to become those when you grow up".
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
Over the course of a decade we have seen them grow up together on the big screen.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
“I’m proud of you, but don’t grow up too quick,” she says.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
