stun grenade

noun

plural stun grenades
: an explosive device that produces a blinding flash of light and a sudden, loud noise : flash-bang
After initially holding back, the police fired stun grenades, tear gas and hard sponge bullets and sent in officers on horseback, prompting demonstrators to accuse them of the kind of police brutality that they had turned out to protest in the first place.—Isabel Kershner

Examples of stun grenade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Another child picked up a stun grenade that the police had launched and lost a hand. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 The government suspended the use of stun grenades after a 15-year-old ​boy's hand was blown off earlier in the week, fueling accusations of police brutality. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 In the former mining town of Lens, a 15-year-old lost a hand in an incident involving a police stun grenade. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 In the latest case, a 15-year-old boy lost a hand Monday in an incident involving a police stun grenade. — Nicolas Garriga, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stun grenade

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stun grenade was in 1952

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Cite this Entry

“Stun grenade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stun%20grenade. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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