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grow out of — develop from

phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional

To originate or develop as a result of a particular situation, idea, or set of circumstances, rather than from something physical or concrete.

Say it like a native

Textbook The company originated from a small university research project.

Native The company grew out of a university project.

'Grow out of' naturally means develop from origins. 'Originated from' is fine but more formal.

Pattern: grow out of + noun/gerund

In use

  • The initiative grew out of a series of informal discussions among the research team.development
  • Many successful businesses have grown out of a simple idea that addressed a specific need in the market.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ The idea grew out from a casual chat.

✓ The idea grew out of a casual chat.

'Grow out OF' (= develop from), not 'out from'.

Common collocations

  • grow out of — a project, an idea, a conversation, necessity

Don't confuse it

Unlike the B1 sense (becoming too big for something) and the B2 sense (stopping a childish habit), this sense is abstract and refers to the gradual development or emergence of something from a previous situation, idea, or condition.

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