1
as in to anger
to become very angry
naturally I flared up when he insulted me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flare (up)
Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 1 July 2025
Iran Offer The flare-up between India and Pakistan has been overshadowed globally by the war between Israel and Iran, with the United States also joining strikes against Tehran's nuclear program.
—Jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Meanwhile, aerospace names continue to benefit from the India-Pakistan flare-up.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Bryon Greenwald, a professor at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., questioned whether the attacks between Iran and Israel amounted to a war at all, or just a flare-up of a long-simmering conflict the countries have engaged in for decades.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flare (up)
Noun
Despite the flare-up, Wedbush technology analyst Dan Ives expects the conflict between Musk and Mr. Trump to die down moving forward.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 1 July 2025
Iran Offer The flare-up between India and Pakistan has been overshadowed globally by the war between Israel and Iran, with the United States also joining strikes against Tehran's nuclear program.
—Jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Meanwhile, aerospace names continue to benefit from the India-Pakistan flare-up.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Bryon Greenwald, a professor at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., questioned whether the attacks between Iran and Israel amounted to a war at all, or just a flare-up of a long-simmering conflict the countries have engaged in for decades.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flare (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flare (up)
Verb
-
Topline Attorney General Pam Bondi has become the chief lightning rod for those on the right angered by the Department of Justice’s lack of new information regarding disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein—a subject of extensive right-wing conspiracies—with some calling for her firing.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
But many of the Blues’ outings have been unpleasant because of high temperatures and storms, and six games across the tournament have been paused for poor weather conditions, angering manager Enzo Maresca.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
That tension would soon erupt into one of the most consequential gender equity battles in modern NCAA history.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
14 July 2025
-
The whole table erupted into a debate about the war—one that everyone claimed to be against, even though one family member is a combat medic and another is enlisting.—
Guy Ben-Aharon,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Conflicting accounts from workers and federal officials have raised a flurry of questions as DHS officials say their agents were shot at.—
Michelle Krupa,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
-
The singer announced the surprise album less than 12 hours before its release, with billboards and a flurry of Instagram posts signaling its arrival.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The Yankees’ double-digit explosion on a rainy night provided plenty of breathing room for a bullpen that has been taxed and decimated by injuries.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
-
The Esparto Fire Protection District responded to the scene, but could not engage the explosions coming from within the warehouse, and so set about stopping the fire raging across the valley floor.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
That took on new relevance during the pandemic, which snarled global supply chains, contributing to shortages of products such as face masks and respirators in the US and elsewhere.—
Olesya Dmitracova,
CNN Money,
9 July 2025
-
All lanes of Interstate 70 have reopened hours after a fiery, fatal crash involving multiple vehicles snarled traffic in the mountains.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
This lack of exchange didn't go unnoticed, and social media exploded with rumors that the former costars are still not on friendly terms.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
18 July 2025
-
The season two synopsis for The Buccaneers reads: In the first season of The Buccaneers, a group of fun-loving young American girls exploded into the tightly corseted London of the 1870s...setting hearts racing and kicking off an Anglo-American culture clash.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
The galaxy can be seen undergoing a burst of star formation thanks to the tidal influence of a galactic neighbor, with the glowing red form of an emission nebula visible throughout, giving the impression of a cosmic firework display.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 July 2025
-
This act of formality did not prevent an easy atmosphere from developing in our classrooms; there were frequent bursts of laughter.—
Brooke Allen,
New Yorker,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
For its part, the Kremlin has played down any suggestion that President Trump’s recent critical outburst has had much impact.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
9 July 2025
-
Willi Castro belted a solo shot off Hodge to make it 5-0, Lewis singled in a run, and Harrison Bader completed the six-run outburst with a two-run homer of his own off Hodge.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flare (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flare%20%28up%29. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share