From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishflareflare1 /fleə $ fler/ ●○○ verb 1 (also flare up) [intransitive]BURN to suddenly begin to burn, or to burn more brightly for a short time The fire flared up again.2 (also flare up) [intransitive]INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETC if strong feelings flare or flare up, people suddenly become angry, violent etc Rioting has flared up in several towns. Tempers flared during the debate.3 (also flare up) [intransitive]WORSE if a disease or illness flares up, it suddenly becomes worse The injury has flared up again, keeping him out of today’s game.4 [intransitive, transitive]WIDE if a person or animal flares their nostrils (=the openings at the end of the nose), or if their nostrils flare, their nostrils become wider because they are angry The bull flared its nostrils.5 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a piece of clothing flares out, it becomes wider at one endflare out The dress flares out from the hips. —flared adjective flared jeans→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
flare• A handful of violent incidents flared before June 30.• Their tempers now rarely flare even in the worst traffic jams.• He flared his nostrils at her, a sign of affection.• A match flared in the darkness.• The sixteen slicks flared in unison with Yellow One and settled into the tall grass.• Violence has flared up again in the Middle East.• An old back ailment flared up, and he had to miss work for several days.• My allergies tend to flare up in humid weather.• The oil ignited and the wooden houses flared up like match-sticks.• On the dunes Angus had put a match to the bonfire which crackled, spat, and flared up.flare out• The plant has dainty, white, tubular flowers that flare out at the lip.ldoce_106_bflareflare2 noun 1 [countable]T a piece of equipment that produces a bright flame, or the flame itself, used outdoors as a signal The distress flares were spotted by another ship.2 [countable usually singular]FIRE a sudden bright flame There was a brief flare as the match was lit.3 → flaresExamples from the Corpus
flare• Flares marked the landing site.• The sound of another flare being fired punctuated the night.• The familiar patchwork emerges, its margins decorated in autumn by the red and golden flare of the leaves.• One flare hit a policeman in the face and doctors said his condition was critical.• Suddenly, out above the southeastern horizon, parachute flares flowered, lighting up the landscape like daytime.• The flare on the other side of his eyelids informed him everything was working normally.• Tight trousers flowing to flares, waisted jackets, vivid shirts and ties half a mile wide. 