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
For others with the condition, flare-ups can involve additional symptoms that are extremely painful or even debilitating.
—
Korin Miller, SELF, 31 Mar. 2026
AstraZeneca — The pharma giant rose 3% after its experimental drug, tozorakimab, was found to meaningfully reduce flare-ups in cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Firefighters stayed on scene overnight to monitor the burn area for any flare-ups.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
For people with inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, the skin’s memory manifests in flare-ups in the same spots over and over.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
Kilauea is among the world’s most active volcanoes, with sporadic flare-ups since December 2024.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Since stress can trigger acne flare-ups and hair shedding, supporting the body’s stress balance may help minimize these effects.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Previous flare-ups have calmed after days of fighting, and mediation by foreign governments including Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
The rapid and often unpredictable cadence of geopolitical flare-ups means that even the strongest friendshoring partnerships will inevitably be tested.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 25 Feb. 2026
Korin Miller, SELF, 31 Mar. 2026
AstraZeneca — The pharma giant rose 3% after its experimental drug, tozorakimab, was found to meaningfully reduce flare-ups in cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Firefighters stayed on scene overnight to monitor the burn area for any flare-ups.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
For people with inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, the skin’s memory manifests in flare-ups in the same spots over and over.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
Kilauea is among the world’s most active volcanoes, with sporadic flare-ups since December 2024.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Since stress can trigger acne flare-ups and hair shedding, supporting the body’s stress balance may help minimize these effects.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Previous flare-ups have calmed after days of fighting, and mediation by foreign governments including Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
The rapid and often unpredictable cadence of geopolitical flare-ups means that even the strongest friendshoring partnerships will inevitably be tested.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flare-ups
Noun
-
Curry magic, Curry flurries, Curry bringing an arena to its feet.—
Sports Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The light snow flurries in the Tahoe area this week after a spell of record-setting March heatwaves across California were not enough to reverse the damage.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Authorities reinforced security around Jewish sites in the wake of explosions last month outside synagogues in Liege, Belgium, and the Dutch port city of Rotterdam and outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The special effects supervisor on a movie set is responsible for designing and executing practical, in-camera effects such as explosions, pyrotechnics, rigs, and atmospheric elements.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are preventable measles outbreaks in the US.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In contrast, egg prices have dropped sharply following a period of unprecedented highs caused largely by bird flu outbreaks.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Backlash was immediate given the rapper’s history of antisemitic outbursts.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Right now, the sun is finally moving out of several years of solar maximum—but as this week’s outbursts show, our star is not yet quiet.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Videos recorded by passengers show sparks and bursts of flame coming from the engine, lighting up the night sky as the aircraft gained altitude.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Poison frontman, evoking the regional dialect of his native Pittsburgh, bursts with adrenaline on a typical day.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — huge eruptions of solar plasma — could be a threat to Artemis astronauts venturing far beyond our planet, as could cosmic rays, which originate far beyond our solar system.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And while many are extinct or dormant, two of them, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, are still capable of destructive and deadly eruptions.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An affordable version of Bocca Italian in South Main serves Roman style pizzas and tasty appetizers with Latin and Mediterranean flares.—
Ella Gonzales
April 1,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
During the incident, the fighter jets deployed flares, officials confirmed.—
Stephen Smith,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Women suffering through the hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep problems that can come with menopause — all while looking in the mirror and noticing signs of aging — are being bombarded with products.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Missouri showed flashes of becoming a competitive SEC team, particularly on offensively, but struggled to sustain success against deeper opponents.—
Aaron Segal,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flare-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flare-ups. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
