grow up
Britishverb
-
to reach maturity; become adult
-
to come into existence; develop
-
Become an adult, as in Sam wants to be a policeman when he grows up . [First half of 1500s]
-
Come into existence, arise, as in Similar social problems grew up in all the big cities . [Late 1500s]
-
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.
“Many folks grow up with stories of financial losses and financial trauma, whether it’s someone they know or represented in the media,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
"Younger generations grow up with politics alongside their memes, their family pictures and their daily commutes."
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
When you grow up in Singapore, optimization is a way of life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The idea that this kid around the kitchen table would then grow up to be the person who walks around talking about Jack and Mick and Paul.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
If I could draw like that, I’d study animation when I grow up.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
