flare-up

noun

1
: a sudden outburst or intensification
a flare-up of hostilities
2
: a sudden bursting (as of a smoldering fire) into flame or light
a danger of flare-ups
3
: a sudden appearance or worsening of the symptoms of a disease or condition
an asthmatic flare-up

Examples of flare-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web My packing essentials for traveling with Crohn's: Like many people with Crohn’s, my joints often swell during a flare-up. Katie Jackson, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2024 One recent flare-up during the IPO preparations centered on this push to set up a new British holding company, Bloomberg News has reported. Aisha S Gani, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024 Beyond money and geography, there is another important difference between India and China as competitors, one that was illustrated during the Maldives’ flare-up with India earlier this year. Maahil Mohamed Elke Scholiers, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 After one month of trying these products, my skin texture was smoother, my pigmentation evened out, and for the most part, my blemishes disappeared (apart from occasional flare-ups). Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Signs of the most recent flare-up are also visible in the harbors of Kinmen, where dozens of fishing boats lie idle following temporary restrictions on fishing activities. Eric Cheung, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Imagine going about your day under intermittent flare-ups of your aching spine or limbs. Brianna Kamienski, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Even Aliyev’s closest ally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urged him to avoid such flare-ups and pursue a comprehensive peace deal with Yerevan. Paul Iddon, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 These formulas won’t cause the unpleasant flare-ups, redness, and stinging side effects. Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flare-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flare-up was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near flare-up

Cite this Entry

“Flare-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flare-up. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flare-up

noun
ˈfla(ə)r-ˌəp,
ˈfle(ə)r-
: a sudden burst (as of flame or anger)

Medical Definition

flare-up

noun
: a sudden appearance or worsening of the symptoms of a disease or condition
an asthmatic flare-up
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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