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
The largest, originating in Guinea in 2014, killed over 11,000 people, and another in 2018 killed a further 2,000; other flare-ups have died away more quickly.
—
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Last week, a security assessment presented to Israeli ministers in a meeting with Netanyahu warned of the potential of a flare-up in the occupied West Bank in the coming weeks, two Israeli officials briefed on the discussion told CNN.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
This filtration system ensures that your floors are getting their most thorough clean, while also ridding your space of irritants like dust that can cause allergy flare-ups.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025
Near the Teakettle Experimental Forest, heavier fuels in flatter terrain will continue to smolder with occasional flare-ups.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flare-up
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Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Last week, a security assessment presented to Israeli ministers in a meeting with Netanyahu warned of the potential of a flare-up in the occupied West Bank in the coming weeks, two Israeli officials briefed on the discussion told CNN.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
This filtration system ensures that your floors are getting their most thorough clean, while also ridding your space of irritants like dust that can cause allergy flare-ups.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025
Near the Teakettle Experimental Forest, heavier fuels in flatter terrain will continue to smolder with occasional flare-ups.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 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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