to burn with an unsteady, swaying flame, as a torch or candle in the wind.
to blaze with a sudden burst of flame (often followed by up): The fire flared up as the paper caught.
to start up or burst out in sudden, fierce intensity or activity (often followed by up): His stomach problems have flared up.
to become suddenly enraged; express sudden, fierce anger or passion (usually followed by up or out): I’m not a person who flares easily. She sometimes flares out at the kids.
to shine or glow.
to spread gradually outward, as the end of a trumpet, the bottom of a wide skirt, or the sides of a ship.
verb (used with object),flared,flar·ing.
to cause (a candle, torch, etc.) to burn with a swaying flame.
to display conspicuously or ostentatiously.
to signal by flares of fire or light.
to cause (something) to spread gradually outward in form.
Metallurgy. to heat (a high-zinc brass) to such a high temperature that the zinc vapors begin to burn.
to discharge and burn (excess gas) at a well or refinery.
noun
a flaring or swaying flame or light, as of torches in the wind.
a sudden blaze or burst of flame.
a bright blaze of fire or light used as a signal, a means of illumination or guidance, etc.
a device or substance used to produce such a blaze of fire or light.
a sudden burst, as of zeal or of anger.
a gradual spread outward in form; outward curvature: the flare of a skirt.
something that spreads out.
Optics. light, often unwanted or extraneous, reaching the image plane of an optical instrument, as a camera, resulting from reflections, scattering by lenses, and the like.
Photography. a fogged appearance given to an image by reflection within a camera lens or within the camera itself.
Also called solar flare .Astronomy. a sudden and brief brightening of the solar atmosphere in the vicinity of a sunspot that results from an explosive release of particles and radiation.
Football. a short pass thrown to a back who is running toward a sideline and is not beyond the line of scrimmage.
Television. a dark area on a CRT picture tube caused by variations in light intensity.
Origin of flare
1540–50; original meaning: spread out, said of hair, a ship's sides, etc.; compare Old English flǣre either of the spreading sides at the end of the nose
SYNONYMS FOR flare
1 flame.
2 erupt, explode, flash, blaze, flame.
14 flash.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR flare ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM flare
outflare,verb (used with object),out·flared,out·flar·ing.un·flared,adjective
Either way, he and others think the campfire flares are important.
Close-up of the sun reveals ‘campfires’|Lisa Grossman|August 28, 2020|Science News For Students
When applied to old data, the method anticipated several powerful flares, although it missed some as well.
The physics of solar flares could help scientists predict imminent outbursts|Emily Conover|July 30, 2020|Science News
Together, the small but ubiquitous flares could be a source of energy to the corona that astronomers haven’t accounted for.
The closest images of the sun ever taken reveal ‘campfire’ flares|Lisa Grossman|July 16, 2020|Science News
In the second scenario, which Metzger and his colleagues published last year, the flare of energy escapes the magnetosphere and travels a large distance — up to 1 million times the radius of the magnetar.
A Surprise Discovery Points to the Source of Fast Radio Bursts|Shannon Hall|June 11, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Specific features of those electron–gas interactions give each type of aurora its unique flare.
Newfound ‘dunes’ is among weirdest of northern lights|Maria Temming|March 9, 2020|Science News For Students
There was also a 37mm flare launcher, a replica of a M203 grenade launcher.
NY Couple Not Terrorists, Say Cops, Just Rich Kids With Drug Habits|Michael Daly, Lizzie Crocker|January 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She said she first learned of the current flare up by seeing tweets from the IDF spokesperson's Twitter account.
D.C. Protesters March For Gaza, Because That's All They Can Do|Zaid Jilani|November 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The issue would flare up, then die down, then flare up again.
Komen Official Karen Handel Calls Planned Parenthood a ‘Gigantic Bully’|Abigail Pesta|February 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Her doctor told me the financial and family stress in her life had caused her MS to flare and left her vulnerable.
Inside the Salahi Split|Diane Dimond|September 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST
In the most casual conversation, she seems to flare at warp-speed.
20 Views of Life and Death|Ezrha Jean Black|July 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He knocked again and the flare of a lighted match illumined the window.
The Country Beyond|James Oliver Curwood
Alongside this one special gleam a red glow suddenly appeared—not a rocket this time, but a flare, undoubtedly.
The Glory of The Coming|Irvin S. Cobb
You don't want to take advantage of her being sick and weakly now—now, you no need to flare up!
Narcissa, or the Road to Rome|Laura E. Richards
"Our flare wasn't handy, and the first match broke," Elliot resumed.
Wyndham's Pal|Harold Bindloss
He awoke to find himself staring into the flare of a flashlight.
Fighting in France|Ross Kay
British Dictionary definitions for flare
flare
/ (flɛə) /
verb
to burn or cause to burn with an unsteady or sudden bright flame
to spread or cause to spread outwards from a narrow to a wider shape
(tr)to make a conspicuous display of
to increase the temperature of (a molten metal or alloy) until a gaseous constituent of the melt burns with a characteristic flame or (of a molten metal or alloy) to show such a flame
(tr sometimes foll by off) (in the oil industry) to burn off (unwanted gas) at an oil well
noun
an unsteady flame
a sudden burst of flame
a blaze of light or fire used to illuminate, identify, alert, signal distress, etc
the device producing such a blaze
a spreading shape or anything with a spreading shapea skirt with a flare
a sudden outburst, as of emotion
optics
the unwanted light reaching the image region of an optical device by reflections inside the instrument, etc
the fogged area formed on a negative by such reflectionsSee also solar flare
astronomy short for solar flare
aeronauticsthe final transition phase of an aircraft landing, from the steady descent path to touchdown
an open flame used to burn off unwanted gas at an oil well