sarin

sa·rin | \ ˈsär-ən

How to pronounce sarin (audio)

, ˈser-; zä-ˈrēn \

Definition of sarin

: an extremely toxic chemical weapon C₄H₁₀FO₂P that is used as a lethal nerve gas

— called also GB

Examples of sarin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The attack that prompted the crisis meeting Power describes in the opening of her book involved sarin-gas shells delivered to a Damascus suburb by artillery. — Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, "The Moral Logic of Humanitarian Intervention," 9 Sep. 2019 Menlo Park Fire District chief Harold Schapelhouman said a machine Facebook uses to detect dangerous substances in mail warned of the potential for sarin. — Brett Molina, USA TODAY, "Facebook: Test results negative for suspicious substance found at company mailing facility," 2 July 2019 In April 2017, President Donald Trump ordered a missile strike on a Syrian airfield after victims of an Assad regime attack on civilians in Khan Sheikhoun tested positive for sarin. — NBC News, "U.S. officials: Blood samples show nerve agent, chlorine in Syria gas attack," 12 Apr. 2018 Then, on August 21, 2013, exactly one year to the day from Obama’s red-line threat, the Assad regime launched a massive sarin-gas attack on the Damascus suburbs, killing 1,400 Syrian civilians. — Brian Stewart, National Review, "The Education of a Cynic," 5 Oct. 2019 According to a report from Business Insider, the social media company uses automatic detectors to spot dangerous chemicals and substances, and these flagged a mailbag as containing traces of the nerve agent sarin. — James Vincent, The Verge, "Facebook’s Silicon Valley campus given all clear after suspected sarin exposure," 2 July 2019 It can also be used to manufacture chemical weapons, such as sarin and VX gases. — Mayumi Negishi And Alastair Gale, WSJ, "North Korea’s Weapons Program Fuels Tokyo’s Trade Spat With Seoul," 10 July 2019 Cult members used sharp umbrellas to puncture plastic bags filled with liquid sarin in crowded trains: experts said the death toll could have been much higher if the group had been better chemists and produced a purer form of the compound. — Simon Denyer, Washington Post, "Former leader of Japanese doomsday cult hanged over 1995 sarin gas attack," 5 July 2018 The town was the site of an alleged sarin chemical weapons attack in 2017, which spurred President Trump to launch military strikes on Syrian government bases. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, "It’s looking like the end game for the revolution in Syria as rebels lose another town," 20 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sarin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

13 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Sarin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarin. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

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