FLARES Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

flares 1 of 2

noun

plural of flare

as in bursts

a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity a flare in gift card sales around graduation time

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in explosions

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling ended the quarrel with a stunning flare of swearwords

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flares

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flare

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of flares

Noun

Antimony strengthens ammunition and armor and supports military technologies, including night-vision systems and flares. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 They are classified from A to X, with M-class flares ranking as the second-strongest category. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Levi’s 726 High-Rise Flare Jeans The flares on these Levi’s jeans start lower on the leg for a cleaner, lengthening line. — Michelle Rostamian, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 Its skyline is dominated by towering smokestacks, hulking arrays of metal tubes and bright flames erupting from flares at petrochemical plants in the global plastics supply chain. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 It was safely escorted from the airspace after flares were deployed. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Yet Fed officials are sharply split over their next steps and inflation could tick higher in the coming months, particularly if fighting in the Middle East flares. — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Researchers compared two leading treatment options — an antibiotic called azithromycin and roflumilast, an anti-inflammatory drug — to see which provided quicker relief during COPD flares. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Aug. 2026 But David has to look into that void, if only in brief flares. — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026

Verb

The front pleats add a flattering touch to the leg-elongating wide-leg style, which slightly flares from the knee to the ankle. — Melony Forcier, InStyle, 22 Aug. 2026 Why probiotics matters for sensitive and dry skin If your skin flares up easily, probiotics may help quiet the noise. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026 The only 16mm shot of the film is of Billy (Anderson) looking directly at the camera before the film flares out and switches to the Little Death oner. — Matt Minton, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026 As back-to-school season arrives, Molly O’Shea, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told KOAT7 that keeping teens in school matters even when anxiety flares. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2026 City officials and public safety leaders say residents cannot legally reserve a public street space with furniture, cones or homemade markers, even as the tradition flares up again around big events like Picklesburgh. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 15 July 2026 The other eight out of nine Israeli workers make their living in shops, farms, and one-person businesses that depend on local customers, the ones who stay home and lose a day's income every time the fighting flares up. — Frayda Leibtag, Time, 13 July 2026 Separately, Ford is also recalling 36,046 Bronco vehicles with model years 2022 to 2026 because the fender flares may be improperly secured and can fall off, creating a hazard for drivers, the NHTSA said. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Plus, an elastic waistband adds comfort, while the fabric drapes over the body without clinging and gently flares at the mid-thigh into a subtle A-line silhouette. — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flares

Noun

Back at Camp Cranium, bursts of laughter, whoops of delight and distant chatter punctuated the humid summer air.

— Lydia McFarlane, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
To achieve this, the locus coeruleus continuously alternates between tonic activity—governing baseline arousal and alertness—and brief phasic bursts that focus attention on critical events.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

The explosions provide different interruptions, punctuating the moment as one of Keeley’s ideas plays out in real time.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Over the course of its five-year mission, the Roman telescope will capture images of the Milky Way, survey the entire sky and observe supernova explosions that occurred as far as 8 billion years ago.

— Josh Feldman, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of explosions

Verb

Impossibly juicy to its core, the chicken is served with a clever tofu-mustard sauce that’s tangy, savory, and smooth (not unlike ranch but also definitely not ranch) and a winning, aromatic jiao chili sauce that burns with a sweet heat.

— The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
When applied to weeds, vinegar burns the leaves and foliage but not the root system.

— Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of burns

Noun

Our arrival in the Madawaska River country of eastern Ontario, near Combermere, was noteworthy only for the snow flurries and marrow-chilling gales that howled down from Hudson Bay to greet us.

— HARRY H. EDEL, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026
The past 14 years have included some flurries of diplomatic contact between Iran and the West.

— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of flurries

Noun

Any glares or slight changes in the atmosphere created by the solar panels could become catastrophic, resident Sam Rolph said.

— Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026
Astronomers have spotted four dead star white dwarf stars playing a game of cosmic hide-and-seek, all four of which were hiding in the glares of red dwarf companion stars.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 July 2026

Definition of glares

Verb

As Robert Spillane works through a quiet camp, fellow inside linebacker Christian Elliss flashes again and again, this time in coverage during 7-on-7s with a pass breakup.

— Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Danny Trejo flashes a smile at San Diego’s Comic-Con International on July 25.

— Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026