flare up
1. To begin to burn. Don't worry, the tinder will flare up eventually. The firewood still hasn't flared up—what am I doing wrong? No, I was never a Boy Scout, so I have no idea how to make sticks flare up!
2. To begin to burn more intensely. The fire suddenly flared up and crackled even louder. Don't throw water on a grease fire, that'll just make it flare up! What do you want, the house to burn down? Get the fire department over here ASAP before the fire flares up!
3. To suddenly worsen or intensify. My arthritis always seems to flare up at this time of year. Achoo! I'm sorry, dog dander always makes my allergies flare up. Steer clear of the boss today—something has caused his anger to flare up.
4. To suddenly lash out in anger. After I accidentally tapped that guy with my shopping cart, he just flared up and started screaming in my face! The boss will definitely flare up once he hears about this printing mishap. Hey, don't flare up at me, I'm just the messenger!
5. To intensify into violence. This area is so unstable that war is liable to flare up at any moment. I wants lots of security guards there so these tensions don't flare up into something more serious. Fighting will flare up between those two gangs if we're not careful.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
flare up
1. Lit. [for something] to ignite and burn. The firewood flared up at last—four matches having been used.
2. Lit. [for a fire] to burn brightly again and expand rapidly. After burning quietly for a while, the fire suddenly flared up and made the room very bright.
3. Fig. [for a pain or medical condition] to get worse suddenly. My arthritis flares up during the damp weather.
4. Fig. [for a dispute] to break out or escalate into a battle. A war flared up in the Middle East. We can't send the whole army every time a dispute flares up.
5. and flare up at someone or something Fig. to lose one's temper at someone or something. I could tell by the way he flared up at me that he was not happy with what I had done. I didn't mean to flare up.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
flare up
Suddenly become angry, as in She flared up at the slightest provocation. This metaphoric expression, dating from the mid-1800s, transfers a sudden burst of flame to sudden rage.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
flare up
v.1. To begin to increase in intensity: My rash flared up when I went outdoors into the sunshine.
2. To express sudden, strong negative emotions, especially anger or hate: The store manager flared up when the employee started talking back.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.