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Synonyms

tear gas

1 American  
[teer] / tɪər /

noun

  1. a gas that makes the eyes smart and water, thus producing a temporary blindness, used in modern warfare, to quell riots, etc.

tear-gas 2 American  
[teer-gas] / ˈtɪərˌgæs /

verb (used with object)

tear-gassed, tear-gassing

  1. to subject to tear gas.

tear gas British  
/ tɪə /

noun

  1. Also called: lacrimator.  any one of a number of gases or vapours that make the eyes smart and water, causing temporary blindness; usually dispersed from grenades and used in warfare and to control riots

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tear gas1

First recorded in 1915–20

Origin of tear-gas2

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

During a protest that evening, Sahar and her friends sought refuge in a nearby house after tear gas was fired.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

Federal authorities deployed tear gas and made some arrests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

It added that the claim that tear gas was deliberately fired into the hospital "does not correspond to the facts".

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Agents have set off tear gas canisters without giving a heads-up to Chicago police.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

Ugwu was puzzled at first, before he realized that Harrison did not know what tear gas was either but would never admit it.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.