grow on

verb

grew on; grown on; growing on; grows on

transitive verb

1
: to have an increasing influence
a bad habit that grows on a person
2
: to become increasingly acceptable or attractive
He didn't like it at first, but it grew on him.

Examples of grow on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Vegetarians have plenty of options, too, with greens and vegetables grown on property. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026 Goodal’s Green Tangerine Vitamin C Serum, profiled by Harper’s Bazaar, sources its star ingredient from green tangerines grown on Korea’s Jeju Island during a four-week harvest window. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 In a roundup for Harper’s Bazaar, the award-winning formula is described as sourcing its star ingredient from green tangerines grown on Korea’s Jeju Island, harvested during a precise four-week window. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026 The award-winning formula sources its star ingredient from green tangerines grown on Korea’s Jeju Island, harvested during a precise four-week window. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grow on

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grow on was in 1608

Rhymes for grow on

See All Rhymes for grow on

Browse Nearby Words

grown-upness
grow on
grow on trees
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grow on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grow%20on. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All