The verb grow is typically intransitive because it describes a process undergone by the subject. Thus:
The business grew rapidly.
When used as a transitive verb, grow traditionally meant “to grow crops or to grow a beard.”
These days, however, some people have converted grow into a transitive verb. Thus we see:
Our policies will grow the economy.
This usage originated in Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign. Since then, most politicians and many members of the media use the expression.
Personally, I prefer to restrict the transitive definition of grow to beans and beards, and we urge you to do the same.
Example: The farmer’s business grew rapidly when he decided to grow barley.
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