grow up

British  

verb

1. to reach maturity; become adult

2. to come into existence; develop

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grow up Idioms  

1. Become an adult, as in Sam wants to be a policeman when he grows up . [First half of 1500s]

2. Come into existence, arise, as in Similar social problems grew up in all the big cities . [Late 1500s]

3. 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]

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Example Sentences

Compounding the pain has been the arrest of their son Nick, who lived in the Reiners’ guesthouse and grew up in the area.

From Los Angeles Times

In his statement, he said he thinks about Ms Nazarova every day and how he wishes she could see their daughter growing up.

From BBC

Hicks, who will lead the second-largest U.S. archdiocese, with 2.5 million members, grew up in South Holland, Ill., just south of Chicago.

From The Wall Street Journal

Louis Sr. instilled that work ethic in all of his family growing up.

From Los Angeles Times

“I grew up wanting to skate, but I just never had the time. And then all of a sudden, I had a lot of time,” she says with a laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advance
• establish
• evolve
• expand
• flourish
• grow
• progress
• promote