Idiom idiom
flame up
Meaning
To suddenly become extremely angry.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He tends to flame up whenever he loses a game.”
“She tried to stay calm, but she started to flame up when he accused her of lying.”
“The politician managed to maintain his composure for most of the debate, but he suddenly flamed up when the moderator questioned his integrity.”
Anchors to
- 01
fan the flames
To intensify or worsen an already difficult situation.
- 02
go down in flames
To fail miserably and with long-term consequences.
- 03
go up in flames
To catch fire.
- 04
old flame
A previous boyfriend or girlfriend; a former romantic or sexual partner, especially one for whom one still has romantic feelings.
Last updated August 10, 2026