1
as in to anger
to become very angry
naturally I flared up when he insulted me
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
took medication to prevent a flare-up of her asthma
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
there's no need for an angry flare-up, as we'll take care of the problem immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flare (up)
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
Experts don’t know what causes the disease, though having a baby may have contributed to the flare-up that led to my diagnosis.
—Michelle Maves, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The latest flare-up coincided with a historic trip by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistan’s rival India, triggering concern in Islamabad.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Investors are eyeing a stock market rebound after Friday’s trade war flare-up sent the S&P 500 to its worst loss since April.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flare (up)
Noun
Ongoing sleep disruption raises the risk of depression, suicidal thoughts and flare-ups of conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
Experts don’t know what causes the disease, though having a baby may have contributed to the flare-up that led to my diagnosis.
—Michelle Maves, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The latest flare-up coincided with a historic trip by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistan’s rival India, triggering concern in Islamabad.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Investors are eyeing a stock market rebound after Friday’s trade war flare-up sent the S&P 500 to its worst loss since April.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flare (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flare (up)
Verb
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Obama’s enthusiastic showings for both candidates was a test of whether his sway over the Democratic Party still remains after his support for Harris failed to boost her to the White House a year ago and angered black male voters who felt unfairly accused of sexism.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement has angered many Americans by wearing masks while on duty, attacking peaceful protesters and arresting mostly people with no criminal record.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Three days after a UPS cargo plane crashed and erupted into a deadly ball of fire in an industrial part of Louisville, Kentucky, investigators are piecing together evidence in a slow search for answers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Days after he was elected in September, his to-do list got even longer when the Jimmy Kimmel-ABC crisis erupted, followed by the arrival of AI ingenue Tilly Norwood and the Sora 2 flap involving Bryan Cranston.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Trump has engineered a flurry of trade deals with other Asian countries and Australia over the past week to supply the US with rare earth minerals, which are critical for batteries and clean energy hardware as well as sectors more important to Trump, including weapons and AI chips.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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The hoax interview has generated a flurry of press reports on both sides of the Atlantic, including in The New York Post, which is also owned by Murdoch.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The cause of the fire and explosion was not immediately clear.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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The explosion of sports betting into the American sports industry was abrupt and jarring, and nobody is quite used to it yet.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Traffic snarled as stoplights lay among piles of debris.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
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Video posted by Jamaica’s Constabulary Force in Black River, near where the eye came ashore, show snarled and downed power lines, piles of debris and many buildings completely collapsed — all on a street still covered in water.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Propane tanks are actually more likely to explode due to excessive heat in the summer.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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Autumn is when the park really explodes in color.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Despite the generally mild outlook, meteorologists are watching key atmospheric factors that could create bursts of intense snow, like expected next week when an early-season lake-effect snow is expected to impact the Great Lakes.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Comedian and actress Atsuko Okatsuka opened the ceremony with a burst of laughter and energy.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These outbursts send radiation and charged particles hurling into space and can disrupt communications on Earth if the flare erupts from an Earth-facing sunspot.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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This outburst was mysterious at the time and remains mysterious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flare (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flare%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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