WordVale

bring up

to raise a topic; to raise a child

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to raise a child, teaching them how to behave and grow

2. (verb) to introduce a topic for discussion

3. (verb) to cause food to come back up from the stomach; to vomit

Examples

• 1. She was brought up by her grandparents after her parents died.
• 2. He brought up an interesting point during the meeting.
• 3. The baby brought up some milk after feeding.

How to use bring up

Bring up is a phrasal verb with distinct meanings depending on context. In parenting, it emphasizes care and education over time (comparable to raise or rear). In discussion, it means to initiate conversation about something, often requiring some diplomacy (synonymous with broach or introduce). The third sense is less formal and refers to vomiting. All uses are common in both spoken and written English, though the parenting and discussion senses dominate standard usage.

Common phrases

• bring up a child
• bring up a topic
• bring up the subject
• bring up a point
• bring up children
• bring up an issue

Synonyms

raise · rear · nurture · broach · mention

Word family

bringing up · brought up

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use bring up to mean simply 'to mention' in contexts where a more neutral term like mention or state is more appropriate, or confuse the phrasal verb with the simple verb bring in related contexts.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

bank on, break down, bring about, call off, carry out, catch on

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained