tear gas
noun
a gas that makes the eyes smart and water, thus producing a temporary blindness, used in modern warfare, to quell riots, etc.
tear gas
1 American
[teer]
/ tɪər /
noun
tear-gas
2
American
[teer-gas]
/ ˈtɪərˌgæs /
verb (used with object)
tear-gassed,
tear-gassing
tear gas
British
/ tɪə /
noun
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.
See Examples For:
ICE agents then deployed tear gas into the home and took the men and their partners into custody, according to the documents and other court records.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
When less-lethal weapons proved ineffective, the department deployed tear gas on two occasions, June 8 and 14, to disperse “violent groups” and restore order.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The security forces used tear gas and stun grenades.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
When police fired tear gas and charged protesters that afternoon, I kept filming.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
I back away, right into Garrett, whose eyes have teared up, and it has nothing to do with the tear gas.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Officials said they had seized three tear-gas canisters and a blank rifle round during their searches of his home and office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2025
At the Capitol, he said a tear-gas canister exploded near him, causing him to don his respirator, and soon, “I became part of the problem. I became part of the mob.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 21, 2023
The announcement comes after Caputo, a former campaign aide to President Trump, faced criticism on Sunday for a series of aggressive, late-night tweets suggesting people tear-gas journalists and arguing with other users.
From Fox News ● Sep. 16, 2020
Riddle, as well as a San Diego pediatrician I consulted, said that the treatment for tear-gas exposure is the same for pretty much anybody.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2020
The gun rack, set between two of the eight windows, held a Remington shotgun, a Colt AR-15 assault rifle, a tear-gas gun, and many rounds of ammunition.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Lindsey said on video, “They tear-gassed this area so I’m sneezing,” according to court records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024
During the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, Mr Lai would join the tear-gassed crowds and listen to protesters before returning to the newsroom to direct coverage.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2023
“Just got tear-gassed, but we’re good, baby, we’re good! We’re pushing forward now!”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2021
They were tear-gassed, so the women were joined by a line dads armed with leaf blowers to disperse the gas.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2020
Thackeray reminisced at length about being tear-gassed blind in the November 1969 antiwar protests in Washington Circle, covering them for her college paper.
From The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier by Bruce Sterling
“I actually think we could be promoting COVID-19 by tear-gassing protesters,” said Balmes.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 8, 2020
She oversaw punitive operations along the southern border that included the tear-gassing of hundreds of desperate would-be refugees near the San Ysidro border crossing.
From Slate ● Apr. 9, 2019
State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who represents Ferguson and live-tweeted her tear-gassing by police, is one of 10 Democrats outnumbered by 24 Republicans.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2014
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.
