1
as in bursts
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
a flare in gift card sales around graduation time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
ended the quarrel with a stunning flare of swearwords
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in glows
the steady giving off of the form of radiation that makes vision possible
in the darkness the flare of a single match might be seen by enemy troops
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in burns
to shine with a bright harsh light
floodlights flaring into the forbidding empty spaces surrounding the prison
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flares
Philippe Cordier, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
After darkness descended, Morris routinely set off flares.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The light facelift brings a new front-end design and contrast wheel arch flares to emphasize the van's all-wheel off-road capabilities.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
The most powerful flares usually detonate from large sunspot groups, where the Sun’s magnetic field can be a million times stronger than Earth’s.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
However, for many people with axSpA, gentle movement is precisely what helps loosen their joints, reduce pain, and prevent flares.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 24 Oct. 2025
The all-weather aircraft executed a series of precise manoeuvres, including a hover salute, backward ascent, and vertical climb, before deploying jamming flares in a vivid display of battlefield readiness.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Two police horses and two dogs were injured as objects, including flares, were thrown in their direction.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Gold hardware and an abundance of pockets decorated Zimmermann’s range of true indigo flares, bell-bottoms and jackets with voluminous sleeves.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
The blade flares into existence, its scarlet glow illuminating the cave, brighter than the lava, brighter than the runes.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Ty Johnson flares out of the backfield to keep Granderson in the flat.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Unlike typical wide-leg jeans, this style flares out at the knee and subtly cinches back towards the ankle.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
When arthritis pain flares up, the area around the offending joint becomes inflamed and slightly acidic.
—New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2025
The other flares upward, suggesting imminent propulsion.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
The hem of the dress flares out and has plenty of pleats, which not only add volume but also hide pesky lines.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
But watch those eyes widen when suddenly there’s a test of guts and his meanness flares again.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
Paris — Protesters disrupted a performance by the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra in Paris three times Thursday as flares, smoke bombs and physical clashes broke out in the concert hall.
—Philippe Cordier, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
After darkness descended, Morris routinely set off flares.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The light facelift brings a new front-end design and contrast wheel arch flares to emphasize the van's all-wheel off-road capabilities.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
The most powerful flares usually detonate from large sunspot groups, where the Sun’s magnetic field can be a million times stronger than Earth’s.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
However, for many people with axSpA, gentle movement is precisely what helps loosen their joints, reduce pain, and prevent flares.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 24 Oct. 2025
The all-weather aircraft executed a series of precise manoeuvres, including a hover salute, backward ascent, and vertical climb, before deploying jamming flares in a vivid display of battlefield readiness.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Two police horses and two dogs were injured as objects, including flares, were thrown in their direction.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Gold hardware and an abundance of pockets decorated Zimmermann’s range of true indigo flares, bell-bottoms and jackets with voluminous sleeves.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
The hour-glass heel is slightly tapered toward the center and flares out into a wide, round heel.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
The blade flares into existence, its scarlet glow illuminating the cave, brighter than the lava, brighter than the runes.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Ty Johnson flares out of the backfield to keep Granderson in the flat.
—Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Unlike typical wide-leg jeans, this style flares out at the knee and subtly cinches back towards the ankle.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
When arthritis pain flares up, the area around the offending joint becomes inflamed and slightly acidic.
—New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2025
The other flares upward, suggesting imminent propulsion.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
The hem of the dress flares out and has plenty of pleats, which not only add volume but also hide pesky lines.
—Nicol Natale, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
But watch those eyes widen when suddenly there’s a test of guts and his meanness flares again.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flares
Noun
-
Fortunately, Marty, posing as a federal agent here to arrest Lee for harassment, bursts through the One Well doors in the nick of time.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
These collisions unleash bursts of energy, allowing physicists to explore the most fundamental building blocks of the universe.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The children grow before the camera’s eye, taking their first steps and speaking their first words to the backdrop of explosions—moving from tent to tent, clinging to life, and longing for their mother’s embrace.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
-
For soldiers caught in explosions, survival often comes at a steep physical cost.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The ash of the cigarette glows in the darkness of the truck.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Essentially the second tone knob engages an onboard distortion circuit, and when it's activated, a rendering of Godzilla on the pickguard glows and pulsates, the brightness varying depending on the gain levels.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Saito burns about 7,000 calories per day and has lost 13 pounds so far.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Unlike conventional scramjets that rely on kerosene, SPARTAN burns hydrogen, producing zero carbon emissions while enabling reusable, low-maintenance hypersonic flight.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As temperatures get below freezing, a few snow flurries are possible across most of the area, according to the weather service.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Mall of America—the country’s largest shopping destination—makes tackling your holiday list a breeze, while the Minneapolis Institute of Art delivers a dose of culture and calm between snow flurries.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Musk, whose partisan outbursts reportedly cost Tesla one million sales, remains the world’s wealthiest person, and could become the first-ever trillionaire.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Unfortunately, things took a dramatic turn at the end of the hour when Drew arrived at the church, drawing intense glares from nearly everyone in attendance.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Based on Alice Oseman's popular webcomic turned graphic novels, Heartstopper is loaded with longing glares, timid greetings, delicate touches, and all the definitive hallmarks of young love as two classmates fall for each other at Truham Grammar School for Boys.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Even when a state’s overall vaccination rate looks healthy, there might be specific towns or school districts where rates are dangerously low – leaving those areas vulnerable to disease outbreaks.—
Anthony Bald,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
-
In 2016 the entire region of the Americas declared the disease eliminated, but outbreaks in Venezuela in 2017 and in Brazil in 2018 reversed that declaration.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flares. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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