From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishflash of inspiration/brilliance/insight/anger etcflash of inspiration/brilliance/insight/anger etcIDEAFEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETCif someone has a flash of brilliance, anger etc, they suddenly have a clever idea or a particular feeling → flash
Examples from the Corpus
flash of inspiration/brilliance/insight/anger etc• One who'd probably mowed the nurses down in his student days, too, she thought with a flash of insight.• With a flash of insight, she imagined Guy's jilted fiancée had received a timely escape.• There was no momentary flash of inspiration; it was typical of Laura's talent to turn a disadvantage into an advantage.• He is some one who feeds off flashes of insight, like bolts of lightning from a clear blue sky.• Mario Bennett, another first-round pick last summer, also showed flashes of brilliance after returning from knee surgery.• There were flashes of brilliance from Michael Hordern and Kelly Hunter but generally the acting lacked sparkle. 