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
Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Dozens of powerful flares are emerging from a new cluster of activity on the sun, producing stunning photos and sparking concerns about potential risks for global navigation, radio signals and the planned Artemis II moon launch.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Timing remains uncertain, as additional M- and X-class flares are still possible and space-weather conditions can change quickly.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
The best of the bunch includes on-trend styles—think cigarette jeans and high-rise flares—along with a pair of Oprah-worn, viral sweatpant jeans.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
Load your car with winter travel gear, including tire chains, ice scraper/snowbrush, jumper cables, and road flares.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Second, our sun is not the only star to have flares.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
But for women in midlife, those symptoms can feel even more intense–or more confusing–as hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause take center stage, overlapping with lupus flares.
—Jennifer Shanker, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Gold hardware decorated Zimmermann’s Spring/Summer 2026 range of true indigo flares, bell-bottoms and jackets with voluminous sleeves.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
Tara Larson, Footwear News, 27 Dec. 2025
Incredibly, the mounds, which are also known as gas hydrate cold seeps, release methane gas flares some 3,300 meters up into the water—the tallest such flares ever recorded.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 25 Dec. 2025
Unlike typical wide-leg jeans, this style flares out at the knee and subtly cinches back toward the ankle.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
The fender flares, big tire footprint, and rugged stance harken back to the 4Runner’s heritage, but with a sharper modern edge from Toyota’s Calty design studio in California.
—New Atlas, 22 Nov. 2025
One officer reaches into the car to open the driver's door and pull him out, but a ball of flames quickly flares up as smoke billows from the car.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
If your skin flares at even the slightest touch, Avène’s intensive serum could be your new holy grail.
—Lucy Partington, Glamour, 17 Nov. 2025
On November 12, the Last Quarter Moon in Leo flares up the tension between your public self and your private desires.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 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
Noun
Seasonal flares like eczema, hand dermatitis and chapped lips also become more common.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Dozens of powerful flares are emerging from a new cluster of activity on the sun, producing stunning photos and sparking concerns about potential risks for global navigation, radio signals and the planned Artemis II moon launch.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Timing remains uncertain, as additional M- and X-class flares are still possible and space-weather conditions can change quickly.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
The best of the bunch includes on-trend styles—think cigarette jeans and high-rise flares—along with a pair of Oprah-worn, viral sweatpant jeans.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
Load your car with winter travel gear, including tire chains, ice scraper/snowbrush, jumper cables, and road flares.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Second, our sun is not the only star to have flares.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
But for women in midlife, those symptoms can feel even more intense–or more confusing–as hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause take center stage, overlapping with lupus flares.
—Jennifer Shanker, Flow Space, 21 Jan. 2026
Gold hardware decorated Zimmermann’s Spring/Summer 2026 range of true indigo flares, bell-bottoms and jackets with voluminous sleeves.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
The dress also appeared to have a wider skirt that flares out at the hem, which had a scalloped trim.
—Tara Larson, Footwear News, 27 Dec. 2025
Incredibly, the mounds, which are also known as gas hydrate cold seeps, release methane gas flares some 3,300 meters up into the water—the tallest such flares ever recorded.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 25 Dec. 2025
Unlike typical wide-leg jeans, this style flares out at the knee and subtly cinches back toward the ankle.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
The fender flares, big tire footprint, and rugged stance harken back to the 4Runner’s heritage, but with a sharper modern edge from Toyota’s Calty design studio in California.
—New Atlas, 22 Nov. 2025
One officer reaches into the car to open the driver's door and pull him out, but a ball of flames quickly flares up as smoke billows from the car.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
If your skin flares at even the slightest touch, Avène’s intensive serum could be your new holy grail.
—Lucy Partington, Glamour, 17 Nov. 2025
On November 12, the Last Quarter Moon in Leo flares up the tension between your public self and your private desires.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flares
Noun
-
Also, some bursts showed strong circular polarization, a signal characteristic of magnetic processes.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Hulu has steadily built a library of bold, thought-provoking miniseries that have managed to entertain audiences in short bursts.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Ukrainian officials said powerful explosions and secondary detonations were recorded at the site, while the extent of damage was still being assessed.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But these explosions do not trigger a nuclear chain reaction.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Auroras during minor storms often appear as faint glows or subtle movement before intensifying.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Kind of two orange glows, like someone had lit two tiny matches out in space.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Production is entirely dependent on electricity and the generator burns about 700 hryvnias ($16) worth of fuel per hour.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The sky has deepened to a clear blue, though the famously slow sunset still burns orange on the horizon.—
Rick Jordan,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Worst case scenario is that Baltimore metro receives a few flurries with up to a trace of snow.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Snow flurries in Jacksonville Why is Groundhog Day celebrated?—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
-
An audience member was removed at one point for outbursts during remarks by commissioner Carrie Prejean, who rejected notions that anti-Zionism equates to antisemitism.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Since it was released at the end of 2023, the hulking, angular vehicle has been subject to jokes about its appearance and glares from people who disagree with CEO Elon Musk’s politics.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Saab recommends combining overhead lighting with wall sconces and table lamps to lend more flexibility while also avoiding harsh glares.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Measles was eliminated in the United States by 2000 but has resurfaced in periodic outbreaks, mostly among people who are not vaccinated.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The outbreaks have mostly affected children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flares. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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