loose cannon

noun

: a dangerously uncontrollable person or thing

Examples of loose cannon in a Sentence

a politician who is regarded as a loose cannon by her colleagues
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.
Hal’s also a raging loose cannon, something we’re reminded of in the first lines of the season premiere. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025 Cam’s a loose cannon, but in the most silly, glorious of ways. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025 The assemblage had room for a pop star, a philosopher genius, a loose cannon, multiple secret weapons and the twin barrels of Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, who both painted street life with a typhoon of colorful slang and freewheeling beat poetry. Pitchfork, 30 Sep. 2025 The military repeatedly resisted the government’s requests to work with the AAA, considering it a loose cannon and competitor aligned with the police. Kristina Mani, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loose cannon

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loose cannon was in 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Loose cannon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loose%20cannon. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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