NYT Dictionary

GROW

[ˈɡɾoː]
VerbNounGROWgrow · 1 syllableGrade 2

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026

Meaning

To become larger, to increase in magnitude.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English growen, from Old English grōwan (“to grow, increase, flourish, germinate”), from Proto-West Germanic *grōan, from Proto-Germanic *grōaną (“to grow, grow green”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow, become green”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch groeien (“to grow”), German Low German grojen (“to green; thrive; take hold; flourish”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish gro (“to grow”), Faroese grógva (“to grow”), Icelandic gróa (“to grow”); also Latin grāmen (“grass, turf; herb, plant”), herba (“grass, herbage; weeds; plant”), Ukrainian гря́ний (hrjányj, “green”). Related to growth, grass, green.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

rangebecomegetgoturncomefallwaxmaturematurate

Antonyms

shrink

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 6 recorded puzzles:

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