flare-ups

noun

plural of flare-up
1
as in flurries
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity took medication to prevent a flare-up of her asthma

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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 multiday effort has been full of challenges for firefighters with fiery flare-ups. — Los Angeles Times, 20 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 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 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 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 Smoke from fireworks can worsen symptoms and cause flare-ups in those who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 4 July 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flare-ups
  1. flurries
  2. explosions
  3. outbreaks
  4. outbursts
  5. bursts
  6. eruptions
  7. flares
  8. flashes
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.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
  • Even then, there are flurries of intense activity.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of flurries
Noun
  • Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex, and southern port cities.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • There have been several explosions in an Iranian coastal province Thursday, following a fresh round of US strikes overnight, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
Definition of explosions
Noun
  • Recurring outbreaks were common in places where sanitation was poor, historians confirm.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • While norovirus is frequently associated with cruise ships, those instances account for just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of outbreaks
Noun
  • Public outbursts remain relatively uncommon, making this week's intervention particularly revealing.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • There have been intermittent outbursts of violence against immigrants since then.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 June 2026
Definition of outbursts
Noun
  • And the jovial human moments between bursts of grandiose showmanship leave the reassuring impression that Elvis really, truly enjoyed being Elvis.
    — Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026
  • The pipes fill unevenly, in bursts, timed to tax law and market peaks rather than to need.
    — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of bursts
Noun
  • Several of these eruptions were accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that appear to be at least partially Earth-directed.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 July 2026
  • The most powerful solar flares are X-class solar flares, and forecasters at NOAA observed one of these eruptions on Tuesday.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of eruptions
Noun
  • The sun attained solar maximum in 2024, releasing intense flares and coronal mass ejections that caused Earth’s atmosphere to expand, which only intensified the drag on Swift, according to NASA.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
  • They are ranked using five classes — A, B, C, M and X — with X-class flares representing the most powerful eruptions.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of flares
Noun
  • In many cases, males blink about every five seconds while searching for females and females respond with flashes of their own about every two seconds.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Yan Diomande showed flashes of his brilliance that could earn him a big-money move this summer.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of flashes

Browse Nearby Words

flare-up
flare-ups
flaring
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Cite this Entry

“Flare-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flare-ups. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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