flare-up
noun
a sudden burst of fire or light
flare-up
Britishnoun
-
a sudden burst of fire or light
-
informal a sudden burst of emotion or violence
verb
-
to burst suddenly into fire or light
-
informal to burst into anger
flare up
Idioms
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.
See Examples For:
He said the flare-up of the Drumcree dispute should be "a bit of a warning shot or a wake-up call".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Given this flare-up in fighting, reporters asked if there would be an end to this war.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Meanwhile, left tackle Rashawn Slater, who missed all of last season after sustaining a knee injury in training camp, was sidelined for much of August because of a flare-up to that same knee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Stocks fell and bond yields held at multi-decade highs as investors ramp up rate hike bets amid a fresh flare-up in Middle East tensions that has sparked another surge in oil prices.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
The lawyer’s sally induced guffaws, a courtroom flare-up that Judge Tate’s dour gaze soon extinguished.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
If confirmed, the loss of the F-15 would be the first for Saudi Arabia in the latest flare up in the decadelong war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
But a flare up of her endometriosis, a condition which sees tissue similar to the lining of the womb grow outside of it, meant she was competing in difficult conditions:
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
California’s struggling wine industry says it expects to take another hit as trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada flare up again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
"At first glance, it may seem under control, but it can flare up again because it re-emerges, sometimes from great depths," explained regional government spokesperson Stephanie Ernoux.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Another loss: his eyes provided him with only half a view of the world, and reading caused his neurasthenia to flare up and made his temples throb.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
