tear gas

1 of 2

noun

: 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

tear-gas

2 of 2

verb

ˈtir-ˌgas 

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

transitive verb

: 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

Examples of tear gas in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On Saturday, one of those protests turned violent when about 100 hooded protesters broke off from a peaceful march and clashed with police, who responded by firing on them with tear gas and a water cannon. —Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

Police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd. —Reuters, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026

Verb

Federal officers have shot munitions at his face respirator and at his back, and launched a tear-gas canister that sparked next to his leg and burned a hole in his costume, the complaint says. —CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026

Children, small children and babies, being tear-gassed, taken into custody, separated from their parents. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1916, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tear gas

• alas
• amass
• bromegrass
• bypass
• chagas
• crabgrass
• crevasse
• eelgrass
• eyeglass
• groundmass
• harass
• impasse

Kids 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

Medical Definition

tear gas

noun

: a solid, liquid, or gaseous substance that on dispersion in the atmosphere irritates mucous membranes resulting especially in blinding of the eyes with tears