FLARES Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

flares 1 of 2

noun

plural of flare

as in bursts

a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity a flare in gift card sales around graduation time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in explosions

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling ended the quarrel with a stunning flare of swearwords

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flares

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flare

as in burns

to shine with a bright harsh light floodlights flaring into the forbidding empty spaces surrounding the prison

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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 flares

Noun

The club leaned into Latin American supporter culture, its drums and smoke and flares, and then grafted local material on top. — Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 July 2026 Traffic ground to a halt along the Corniche Boulevard, one of the city’s main avenues, where ecstatic Atlas Lions supporters danced, set off fireworks and waved flares. — Kristie Rieken, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2026 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 The physical and mental toll was rough—countless tests and scans, monthly (or more frequent) ER visits for severe flares, mental breakdowns, anxiety, fear, panic, depression, insecurity, doubt, and hopelessness. — Shannon Dingey, Health, 1 July 2026 The dealers will inspect and repair or replace the fender flares as necessary, free of charge, as part of the recall remedy, NHTSA said. — Reuters, NBC news, 30 June 2026 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. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 25 June 2026

Verb

Separately, Ford is also recalling 36,046 Bronco vehicles with model years 2022 to 2026 because the fender flares may be improperly secured and can fall off, creating a hazard for drivers, the NHTSA said. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Plus, an elastic waistband adds comfort, while the fabric drapes over the body without clinging and gently flares at the mid-thigh into a subtle A-line silhouette. — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 Designed to enhance your natural shape, these jeans boast a snug fit through the hips and thighs that flares out into a modest wide-leg finish. — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026 Cleary asks people to pay attention to which feelings keep surfacing and when—anger that flares every evening, say, or loneliness that creeps in at night. — Angela Haupt, Time, 10 June 2026 Your dark humor flares on occasion. — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026 But then, in April 2019, his illness flares. — Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026 Within any chimp group, violence flares occasionally — but it is usually dampened by long friendships. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026 There’s a funny reason why the pain flares in your upper face and forehead, a bit of a distance from the area responsible for the cold. — Julia Daye, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flares

Noun

Under rural Spanish skies, particularly in dark-sky regions away from towns and cities, observers could see 30 to 50 meteors per hour, with occasional bursts producing even more.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 14 July 2026
When the aorta bursts, blood rushes through the tear, which often leads to sudden death.

— Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

Fedorov’s removal came as Russian missiles struck Kyiv early Thursday, with loud explosions heard in the Ukrainian capital just hours before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set to arrive.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
And most often these fires, explosions and leaks happen in working-class neighborhoods.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

Your 5th House of Creativity and Play glows as Venus forms an effortless trine to Chiron in your sign, encouraging pleasure that supports personal healing.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026
The unusual auroras were photographed over Hokkaido, Japan, where observers captured diffuse red glows hanging low over the horizon.

— Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 26 May 2026

Definition of glows

Verb

The vehicle's first stage burns kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants, whereas the second stage uses LOX and liquid methane.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 10 July 2026
But that is labor intensive, and when a fire burns thousands of acres, the time and cost involved can be too high.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of burns

Noun

The past 14 years have included some flurries of diplomatic contact between Iran and the West.

— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
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

Definition of flurries

Noun

There are no explosive revelations, gotcha moments, dramatic confessions, or theatrical outbursts.

— Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Sleep deprivation strips away that capacity, often resulting in erratic outbursts or defensive behaviors that dismantle trust instantly.

— Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of outbursts

Noun

Astronomers have spotted four dead star white dwarf stars playing a game of cosmic hide-and-seek, all four of which were hiding in the glares of red dwarf companion stars.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 July 2026
That geographic blandness only emphasizes the film’s other shortcomings, such as Schoenaerts’s anonymous work as the villain (a lot of glowering and creepy glares) and the rather rote big-sister/little-sister arc given to Supergirl and Ruthye.

— David Sims, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026