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Glite Dictionary
to begin to mushroom

to begin to mushroom

4.7
Start to grow or spread very quickly across an area
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : comenzar a expandirse
  • As interest in the event grew, attendance began to mushroom beyond our expectations.

Examples

  • After the new restaurant opened, the number of visitors to the area began to mushroom dramatically.

  • This landscape soon changed, as the neighborhood began to mushroom around the Press.

    Blog text (3)

  • The small business began to mushroom after they launched their online store.

Synonyms

to grow
vsto begin to mushroom
958 2.2

Start to exist or slowly develop, as with an idea

is about a sudden rapid initiation and dramatic expansion rather than slow development
to sprout
vsto begin to mushroom
68 2.0

To begin to grow new shoots or leaves

is about a fast dramatic increase across many areas not just plants
to zoom
vsto begin to mushroom
54 3.7

To rise very quickly in amount or value

is focused on a fast dramatic expansion in size or presence not just numbers
to spring up
vsto begin to mushroom
43 3.3

To appear quickly in a place, often as new shops or cafes

is more about rapid large scale expansion rather than mere appearing
to burgeon
vsto begin to mushroom
28 7.6

To grow or increase very quickly

is used to stress a more sudden and dramatic initial rise
to proliferate
vsto begin to mushroom
23 9.5

Increase quickly in number or make something increase quickly

is more about a sudden large visible expansion rather than mere multiplication
to mushroom
vsto begin to mushroom
10 4.1

To become much larger or more common very quickly

is about the sudden initial phase of that rapid expansion
burgeoning
vsto begin to mushroom
5 6.5

Starting to grow quickly, like a new business or neighbourhood

is more dramatic and explosive in expansion than that rapid development
to begin to sprout
vsto begin to mushroom
1 3.2

To start growing, usually of plants or seeds

is used for sudden dramatic expansion beyond small plant growth
ballooning
vsto begin to mushroom
4.1

Growing very quickly in size or cost

is specifically used for the initial sudden dramatic phase of such rapid growth

Antonyms

to shrink
181 2.8

Become less in amount or value

to stabilize
  • US
75 4.3

To become steady and stop changing

How Quickly

to begin to mushroom
4.7
spreading
1 2.3
to expand
805 2.5
to grow
958 2.2
to appear
873 1.0

Surface Forms

begin to mushroom infinitive
began to mushroom past
begun to mushroom past participle
beginning to mushroom present participle
begins to mushroom third person singular

Morphology

begin + to + mushroom

The phrase is fully compositional: 'begin' (to start) + 'to' (infinitive marker) + 'mushroom' (to grow/spread rapidly) straightforwardly yields 'start to grow or expand very quickly.' This start+verb pattern is cross-linguistically common, so an average B1 learner who knows the constituent words would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Begin to mushroom may come from the way mushrooms suddenly appear and grow after rain, seeming to pop up everywhere. That's why the phrase means 'to start growing or spreading very quickly'.