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
took medication to prevent a flare-up of her asthma
there's no need for an angry flare-up, as we'll take care of the problem immediately
Recent Examples on the Web
Even two days after the fire began, smoke continued to drift out of the charred skeletons of the buildings from the occasional flare-up.
—
David Rising, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025
An attempt to shoot the film in 2024 had been abandoned following a flare-up in the conflict between Israel and militant group Hezbollah.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Nov. 2025
More than 1,000 firefighters were brought in to tackle the blaze, and even now, the buildings continue to smoke from small flare-ups.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The flare-up of cross-border tension is just the latest challenge to a tenuous ceasefire agreement between the neighbors that came into effect in mid-October, and relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been fraught since the Taliban swept back to power in 2021.
—CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flare-up
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David Rising, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025
An attempt to shoot the film in 2024 had been abandoned following a flare-up in the conflict between Israel and militant group Hezbollah.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Nov. 2025
More than 1,000 firefighters were brought in to tackle the blaze, and even now, the buildings continue to smoke from small flare-ups.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The flare-up of cross-border tension is just the latest challenge to a tenuous ceasefire agreement between the neighbors that came into effect in mid-October, and relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been fraught since the Taliban swept back to power in 2021.
—CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flare-up
Cite this Entry
“Flare-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flare-up. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
flare-up
noun
: a sudden appearance or worsening of the symptoms of a disease or condition
an asthmatic flare-up
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