Phrasal verb
grow out
Definition
phrasal verb. to let your hair or nails get longer by not cutting them.
phrasal verb. to allow hair, nails, or a physical feature to reach a desired length by abstaining from trimming or cutting; often used when transitioning between styles.
Examples
“I am trying to grow out my hair for the wedding.”
“After years of having a short buzz cut, he decided to grow out his hair to see how it looked wavy.”
“The stylist suggested that she grow out her layers for several months before attempting the blunt bob she originally requested.”
Examples
simple
“I am trying to grow out my hair for the wedding.”
contextual
“After years of having a short buzz cut, he decided to grow out his hair to see how it looked wavy.”
complex
“The stylist suggested that she grow out her layers for several months before attempting the blunt bob she originally requested.”
Usage
usually takes hair, nails, or a specific hairstyle as the object.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'grow out of' (to become too big for clothes), which is a three-part phrasal verb with a completely different meaning.
Pitfall
I want to grow my hair out of.
I want to grow my hair out.
adding 'of' changes the meaning to 'becoming too large for something' or 'developing from something'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
grow + (object) + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/grow-out