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 That’s also because the movie has a quasi-magical force for good in the lovable lug who comes on like a loose cannon, threatening disaster at every turn, but somehow, with guilelessness and honesty, always manages to emerge smelling like roses. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Its setup repeats the odd-couple dynamic of its predecessor, with Lil Rel Howery and Yvonne Orji once again playing the straight man/woman to John Cena and Meredith Hagner’s free-spirited loose cannons. Michael Nordine, Variety, 25 Aug. 2023 At the end, the unit was being led by Baltimore Police Sergeant and resident loose cannon Wayne Jenkins, who was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for a host of things, including two counts of robbery, destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation. San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2022 Police everywhere should be angry that a loose cannon has been rehired. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 25 Apr. 2023 Isaac is a crude loose cannon who represents the biggest threat of actual danger among the ensemble. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2023 Even Laura Ingraham, one of Trump’s most unflinching supporters, agreed that Powell and Rudy Giuliani were both loose cannons. Dave Goldiner New York Daily News (tns), al, 17 Feb. 2023 Sarah has a lazy day, hopping on a bus as soon as her school day ends to secretly get her father's watch fixed for his birthday, while Joel is off working jobs as a contractor; his brother, Tommy (Gabriel Luna) is also around and clearly the loose cannon of this family dynamic. Men's Health, 16 Jan. 2023 Arians could be a loose cannon at times. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loose cannon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near loose cannon

Cite this Entry

“Loose cannon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loose%20cannon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!