1
as in flurries
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
took medication to prevent a flare-up of her asthma
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explosions
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-ups
The popular China internet fund, the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB), is down more than 40% from its record in October amid ongoing concerns over AI valuations and trade ware flare-ups.
—
Oliver Renick,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
Lymph nodes cluster heavily in this area, and poor circulation through them can produce acne along the jaw and neck, dry or flaky skin, eczema flare-ups or unexplained rashes.
—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
29 June 2026
Poor circulation there may also show up as dry or flaky skin, eczema flare-ups or unexplained rashes.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2026
Washington and Tehran differ over whether Iran has a say in which vessels can cross the crucial waterway and when, leading to flare-ups.
—
Victoria Craw,
Washington Post,
27 June 2026
The multiday effort has been full of challenges for firefighters, with fiery flare-ups shooting up from the building whose roof is covered with solar panels.
—
Arkansas Online,
21 June 2026
The declaration activates additional city resources and seeks state support as firefighters continue battling flare-ups and lingering smoke from the blaze.
—
James Ward,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
The multiday effort has been full of challenges for firefighters with fiery flare-ups.
—
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
This has raised the risk of fires incurring heavy financial costs, and that of flare-ups engulfing people’s livelihoods.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Oliver Renick,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
Lymph nodes cluster heavily in this area, and poor circulation through them can produce acne along the jaw and neck, dry or flaky skin, eczema flare-ups or unexplained rashes.
—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
29 June 2026
Poor circulation there may also show up as dry or flaky skin, eczema flare-ups or unexplained rashes.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2026
Washington and Tehran differ over whether Iran has a say in which vessels can cross the crucial waterway and when, leading to flare-ups.
—
Victoria Craw,
Washington Post,
27 June 2026
The multiday effort has been full of challenges for firefighters, with fiery flare-ups shooting up from the building whose roof is covered with solar panels.
—
Arkansas Online,
21 June 2026
The declaration activates additional city resources and seeks state support as firefighters continue battling flare-ups and lingering smoke from the blaze.
—
James Ward,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
The multiday effort has been full of challenges for firefighters with fiery flare-ups.
—
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
This has raised the risk of fires incurring heavy financial costs, and that of flare-ups engulfing people’s livelihoods.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flare-ups
Noun
-
There is even a remote possibility for a few flurries in the highest peaks of the Sierra on Saturday and Sunday nights with temps briefly below freezing.
-
Even then, there are flurries of intense activity.
Noun
-
Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, a Reuters witness said.
-
Instead of focusing narrowly on one object at a time, the observatory will sweep across huge areas of sky, building an archive of stars, galaxies, asteroids and cosmic explosions.
Noun
-
That monitoring period was set because symptoms of hantavirus have taken as long as 42 days to appear in previous outbreaks.
-
Other factors, including the early stages of hurricane season and periodic Saharan dust outbreaks, can also influence conditions, but are less consistent drivers at this range.
Noun
-
There have been intermittent outbursts of violence against immigrants since then.
-
Police said Poirier continued making verbal outbursts and took an aggressive stance toward officers.
Noun
-
From Friday to Sunday, singers and alphorn players filled the streets and spontaneous bursts of yodeling echoed through restaurants, where diners initially reacted with surprise before joining in.
-
San Francisco real estate agent Butch Haze of Compass has seen tech booms followed by ravenous bursts of homebuying since the first internet gold rush of the late 1990s.
Noun
-
The hotel staff can help direct you to info about eruptions, closures, and options for outdoor experiences.
-
During The Great Dying, massive volcanic eruptions triggered catastrophic climate changes that altered the planet’s entire biosphere.
Noun
-
And, in a number of cases, researchers have found evidence that this is happening, with one case of an extremely young star emitting flares seemingly in response to the orbit of its innermost planet.
-
The event was cut short on Tuesday night, with organizers intervening due to the use of fireworks and smoke flares.
Noun
-
Morel’s career arc had previously included flashes of legitimate middle-order production.
-
Swift was originally designed to study a rare type of transient called gamma-ray bursts—seconds-long flashes of gamma-ray light that arise from the most energetic explosions in the universe.
Cite this Entry
“Flare-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flare-ups. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
