flareup
Americannoun
-
a sudden flaring up of flame or light.
-
a sudden outburst or intensification, as of anger or tensions.
-
a sudden outbreak of violence, disease, or any other condition thought to be quelled, checked, or inactive.
Etymology
Origin of flareup
First recorded in 1830–40; noun use of verb phrase flare up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A flareup in Middle East tensions pushed energy prices up to 4.1% on-year from 0.6% in a single month, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Also weighing on talks are Trump's trade wars, notably the recent tit-for-tat flareup with Canada, while observers monitor if the G20 can still work together to address big economic challenges.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Yet barring a massive flareup in violence in the Middle East and another spike in oil prices, the latest bout of inflation is unlikely to get much worse.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
He faced harsh weather conditions, closed footpaths, severely-blistered feet, and a gout flareup which resulted in a trip to the emergency department.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
It bloomed best, most sublimely, in the middle of an emotional flareup of just this kind.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
