We thought Mary and Tom were lost at sea but then we saw the distress flare.
Source: tatoeba (5674349)
Flare
/flɛə̯/
Synonyms for "flare" (334 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (67)
additionadjunctaggrandizementaid to navigationalarmamber lightampliationamplificationangeraugmentationbackfirebakebalefirebangbarragebe brightbe in heatbeaconbeacon firebeam
Strong matches (100)
burst forthcaution lightchafechokecombustcookcrescendocressetdartdazedazzledefinitiondeflagrationdeploydeploymentdetonationdiffuse lightdischargedispersedispersion
Show 50 more words
enlargeenlargementerupteruptionexpandexpansionexplodeexplosionextendextensionfaculafanfan outfanning outfirefirecrackerfireworksflambeauflameflame upflaming torchflare upflare-upflashflash fireflickerflushflutterfog bellfog signalfog whistlefoghornfringe areafryfulguratefulgurationfulminationfumefuseegaspghostgive lightglanceglaregleamgleam of lightglimmerglintglowgo light
Related words (167)
gong buoygranulationgreen lightgridhard shadowheliographhigh signhikingimageincandesceincandescenceincreaseinternational alphabet flaginternational numeral pennantkickkindleleerlightlinkluminosity
Show 117 more words
lustermagnificationmarker beaconmultiple imagenodnoisenudgeopenopen upoutburstoutspreadoutstretchovergrowoverrunpantparachute flareparchpicturepicture noisepicture shiftspilot flagpokepolice whistlequarantine flagradiateradiate heatradio beaconragerainraisingramifyred flagred lightreportroastrocketrollingroman candlerufflesailing aidscaldscanning patternscintillationscorchsee redseethesemaphoresemaphore flagsemaphore telegraphsend out raysshadingshimmershimmer with heatshineshine brightlyshootshoot out rayssignsignalsignal beaconsignal bellsignal firesignal flagsignal flaresignal gongsignal gunsignal lampsignal lightsignal mastsignal postsignal rocketsignal shotsignal sirensignal towersimmersmoldersmothersnowsnowstormsolar flaresolar prominencespar buoysparksplayspraddlespranglesprawlspreadspread like wildfirespread outspreadingsteamstewstiflestop lightsuffocatesweatswellswellingswelterthe nodthe winktoasttorchtouchtraffic lighttraffic signalunfolduppingwatch firewhite flagwidenwideningwigwagwigwag flagwinkyellow flag
Noun(26 words)
Verb(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: flash, addition, adjunct, aflicker, aggrandizement.
- Sentence evidence is available for flare, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "flare".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "flare"
Keep "flare" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "flare" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "flare", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "flare" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
39 entriesShowing 16 of 39 words.
More specific
14 entriesCollocations
9 entriesbright flareemergency flareflare gunflare pathflare skirtflare stackflare upsignal flaresolar flare
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
52 translations across 19 languages.
Bulgarian
3 entries- разкрояване noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
- сияние noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- ярка светлина noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Dutch
2 entries- brede broekspijp noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
- vuurpijl noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Finnish
4 entries- hätäsoihtu noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- levennys noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
- soihtu noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- valoammus noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
French
1 entries- fusée lumineuse noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
German
4 entries- Aufbördelung noun (widening of an object with otherwise roughly constant width)
- Aufweitung noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
- Bengalo noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- Bördelrand noun (widening of an object with otherwise roughly constant width)
Greek
1 entries- φωτοβολίδα noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Irish
3 entries- lasair noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- spré noun (widening of an object with otherwise roughly constant width)
- spré noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
Italian
1 entries- bagliore noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- fakkel noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- fakkel noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Polish
3 entries- blask noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- klosz noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
- szwedy noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
Portuguese
1 entries- sinalizador noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Romanian
2 entries- evazare noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
- semnal luminos noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Russian
4 entries- взрыв noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- вспо́лох noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- вспы́шка noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- клёш noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
Serbo-Croatian
1 entries- trapez noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
Swedish
1 entries- lysraket noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Tagalog
1 entries- ansisilaw noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Turkish
1 entries- işaret ışığı noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
Welsh
4 entries- ffagliad noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- fflach noun (source of brightly burning light or intense heat)
- fflêr noun (widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans)
- ymlediad noun (widening of an object with otherwise roughly constant width)
Sample sentences
57 total sentences available.
The friction that occurs during the violent vaporization process generates the flare.
Source: tatoeba (11152976)
Leon lit a flare.
Source: tatoeba (11639447)
Rodrigo lit a flare and burnt Rima.
Source: tatoeba (11785795)
Showing 4 of 57 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "flare"?
Closest matches include flash, addition, adjunct, aflicker, aggrandizement.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "flare"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.