1
: a sudden outburst or intensification
a flare-up of hostilities
2
: a sudden bursting (as of a smoldering fire) into flame or light
a danger of flare-ups
3
: a sudden appearance or worsening of the symptoms of a disease or condition
an asthmatic flare-up
Synonyms
Examples of flare-up in a Sentence
took medication to prevent a flare-up of her asthma
there's no need for an angry flare-up, as we'll take care of the problem immediately
Recent Examples on the Web
Although there’s no drug that can cure ulcerative colitis, a variety of medications can reduce symptom flare-ups and help patients achieve and maintain periods of clinical remission.
—
Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 20 June 2024
Listen to this article CHICAGO — After missing nine straight games due to a flare-up in his right elbow and 27 of the Knicks’ last 30 games after midseason elbow surgery, forward OG Anunoby returned to New York’s starting lineup ahead of tipoff against the Bulls on Friday.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
Imagine going about your day under intermittent flare-ups of your aching spine or limbs.
—Brianna Kamienski, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024
Medium here, a well-done over there, suddenly even the biggest grill seems to have too many hot spots (or not enough), and managing flare-ups starts to seem like a job better left to the fire department.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for flare-up 
Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 20 June 2024
Listen to this article CHICAGO — After missing nine straight games due to a flare-up in his right elbow and 27 of the Knicks’ last 30 games after midseason elbow surgery, forward OG Anunoby returned to New York’s starting lineup ahead of tipoff against the Bulls on Friday.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
Imagine going about your day under intermittent flare-ups of your aching spine or limbs.
—Brianna Kamienski, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024
Medium here, a well-done over there, suddenly even the biggest grill seems to have too many hot spots (or not enough), and managing flare-ups starts to seem like a job better left to the fire department.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for flare-up
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flare-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to flare-up
Dictionary Entries Near flare-up
Cite this Entry
“Flare-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flare-up. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
flare-up
noun
: a sudden appearance or worsening of the symptoms of a disease or condition
an asthmatic flare-up
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share