: a solid, liquid, or gaseous substance that on dispersion in the atmosphere irritates mucous membranes resulting especially in blinding of the eyes with tears and that is used chiefly (as by the police and the military) to disperse large crowds of people
variants
or tear gas
or less commonly teargas
tear-gassed or tear gassed also teargassed; tear-gassing or tear gassing also teargassing; tear-gases or tear gasses also teargasses
: to use tear gas on
The troops then tear-gassed the crowd of several hundred, mostly teenagers and young men, which scattered in great confusion, but re-formed later.—
Roger Daniels
Roger DanielsExamples of tear gas in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 18 June 2025
Officers in Portland, Oregon, also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
Behind us, the police started tear-gassing people, so there was a moment of panic and everyone started running towards the top of the street.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear gas
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Noun
In a letter sent to the Santa Ana Police Department last week, the American Civil Liberties Union alleged police officers violated state law by using rubber bullets, pepper balls and tear gas on protesters.
—Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 18 June 2025
Officers in Portland, Oregon, also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
Verb
Finneas said that he was tear-gassed while attending a protest in Los Angeles over immigration raids on Sunday.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
Behind us, the police started tear-gassing people, so there was a moment of panic and everyone started running towards the top of the street.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tear gas
Cite this Entry
“Tear gas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tear%20gas. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
teargas
1 of 2 verb
tear·gas
ˈti(ə)r-ˌgas 
: to use tear gas on
tear gas
2 of 2 noun
: any of various substances that cause eye irritation and blind the eyes with tears when released into the air and that are used mostly to scatter mobs
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