From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgrow up phrasal verb1 ADULTto develop from being a child to being an adult What do you want to be when you grow up? I grew up in Chicago.2 grow up! spoken used to tell someone to behave in a more responsible way, like an adult3 GROUP OF PEOPLEto start to exist or develop gradually Trading settlements grew up by the river. → grow→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
grow up• This is the neighborhood where my father grew up.• We plan to go and live in Florida when the children have all grown up.• What do you want to be when you grow up?• Margaret Hallworth was born in Manchester but grew up in North Wales.• I grew up on a farm in eastern Pennsylvania. 