The right grow synonym depends on what is growing. Numbers increase or rise, companies expand, children develop, gardens thrive, and farmers cultivate crops. Grow also means "slowly become," as in grow tired, where become or get is the swap. Name the subject first and another word for grow almost picks itself.
Read on for five sense groups, a strength scale, synonyms for grew, grown and growing, and the pitfalls that trip up writers. Each section adds examples you can adapt.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
increase, expand, develop, rise, thrivePart of speech
Verb (with and without an object)Most formal
proliferate, burgeon, cultivateMost casual
shoot up, take off, get biggerStrongest
skyrocket, balloon, mushroomAntonyms
shrink, decline, dwindleWatch out
Thrive means grow well. A sickly seedling can grow without thriving.Word forms covered
grows, grew, grown, growing, grow up
Each grow synonym and what it suits
| Subject | Natural verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers, prices | increase, rise, climb, jump | Rents rose again this spring. |
| Companies, cities | expand, spread, scale up | The bakery expanded into two new towns. |
| Children, skills | develop, mature, improve | Her reading skills developed quickly. |
| Plants | sprout, flourish, bloom, thrive | Tomatoes thrive in full sun. |
| Feelings, states | become, get, turn | The crowd became restless. |
From creeping up to skyrocketing
The chip strip shows growth by speed and size. Creep up is slow and almost unnoticed. Rise is neutral. Increase is the standard report word. Expand stresses spreading outward, and skyrocket means a sudden, steep jump. Close cousins include balloon and mushroom, which suggest growth that feels out of control, often of costs or debts.
In a lab report or business summary, add a number instead of a dramatic verb: sales rose 12 percent says more than sales skyrocketed.
Synonyms for grew, grown and growing
The past forms take the same synonyms, just conjugated:
- Grew: increased, expanded, rose, developed, became. "The team grew to forty people" becomes the team expanded to forty people.
- Grown: mature, adult, fully developed. "A grown man" is close to an adult man.
- Growing: rising, increasing, mounting, expanding. "A growing concern" becomes a mounting concern. See growing synonyms for the adjective.
- Grow up: be raised, be brought up, mature. "I grew up in a small town" becomes I was raised in a small town.
Swaps in everyday sentences
- My worry grew becomes my worry deepened.
- We grow herbs on the balcony becomes we cultivate herbs on the balcony (a bit formal) or we raise herbs.
- The protest grew into a movement becomes the protest developed into a movement.
- The puppy grew fast becomes the puppy shot up.
- The days grow shorter becomes the days get shorter.
An update email to a manager: "Our list grew a lot this quarter." Better: "Our mailing list increased by 900 subscribers this quarter." The precise verb plus a figure sounds confident.
Growing a business: words that sound sharper
"Grow your business" is common in marketing, but some readers find it vague. Alternatives: build a customer base, expand into new markets, scale up production, boost revenue, strengthen a brand. On a resume, pair the verb with a result: expanded the client roster from 12 to 30. Our action verbs hub has extra choices.
Pitfalls to avoid
Thrive and flourish add the idea of success. A rumor grows, but it does not flourish unless you mean it is doing well. Expand needs room to spread, so "my height expanded" sounds wrong. Cultivate takes an object (cultivate roses, cultivate trust); plants themselves do not cultivate. Wax means grow only in old-fashioned phrases like the moon waxes.
Opposites of grow
Shrink is the plain antonym. Decline and decrease suit data, dwindle means slowly fading away, and wither fits plants or hopes. Wane is gentle and a little literary, often for interest or light.
- Membership dwindled after the fees went up.
- Her interest in chess waned over the summer.
Compare the decrease synonyms page.
Frequently asked questions
Which grow synonym sounds most formal?
Expand, develop and cultivate are formal and common. Burgeon and proliferate rank higher on formality and suit academic writing about fast growth.
Which words replace grow in business writing?
Expand, scale, build and boost work well. Choose expand for new markets and boost for numbers like sales or traffic.
Can I use thrive instead of grow?
Only when the growth is healthy and successful. A plant that is growing slowly and weakly is not thriving.
Shrink, decline, wither: which reverses grow?
Shrink is the direct opposite. Decline, decrease and dwindle fit numbers, while wither fits plants.
How else can I say grow as a person?
Try mature, develop, evolve or learn. You can also say you gained confidence or broadened your outlook.