# grow apart

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/grow-apart
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to slowly lose a close relationship with someone as you both change over time. You stop sharing the same interests or feelings.

For teachers: to gradually become less intimate or friendly, typically as a result of diverging interests or personal development. The verb is intransitive and functions without a direct object.

## Examples

- My best friend and I started to grow apart after high school.
- After ten years of marriage, they realized they had grown apart and decided to separate amicably.
- Sociologists suggest that couples who fail to communicate their evolving personal goals often grow apart as their individual identities diverge over several decades.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They grew apart each other." but "They grew apart from each other." — The phrase is intransitive, so it requires the preposition 'from' to connect to a person.

## Usage notes

- This verb is intransitive and is often used with 'from' if the other person is mentioned.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'drift apart', which suggests a more passive or accidental loss of connection compared to the developmental change implied by 'grow'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.