loose cannon

noun

Definition of loose cannon

: 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

Hernandez, who has long been a buff of Civil War history, is not a loose cannon. — Dom Amore, courant.com, "He's Keith Hernandez ....And He's Got Stories," 8 June 2018 This new silent-but-deadly Teddy is yet another loose cannon on a show about an entire cast of characters going rogue. — William Lee, chicagotribune.com, "‘Westworld’ Episode 7 recap: 5 things to know about ‘Les Écorchés' and what lies beneath the surface," 4 June 2018 His best friend, Miles (Casal), is a classic loose cannon whose white working-class status gives him similar economic pressures but more room to behave as an angry wild card than Collin. — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, "'Hamilton' star's 'Blindspotting' reinvents buddy films in thrilling ride," 1 June 2018 After getting a whole season of ratings fireworks from its resident loose cannon, the network finally drew the line. — Karla Peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Rosanne Barr's new sitcom is canceled because of some old hate," 29 May 2018 Giuliani, however, is a loose cannon, and is already struggling to keep his story straight. — Abigail Tracy, The Hive, "Rudy Giuliani May Have Just Implicated Trump in Two Federal Crimes," 3 May 2018 Paul Manafort spent the spring trying to argue that Mueller was a loose cannon, a reckless, out of control prosecutor straying far beyond his assignment. — Garrett M. Graff, WIRED, "Robert Mueller Likely Knows How This All Ends," 1 May 2018 In battleground states like Arizona, Florida, and Nevada, Trump’s proclivity to be a loose cannon could endanger the Republican incumbents and challengers who are already facing ferocious Democratic headwinds. — Kevin Freking, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump takes aim at familiar targets at Michigan rally," 28 Apr. 2018 In battleground states like Arizona, Florida and Nevada, Mr. Trump’s proclivity to be a loose cannon could endanger the Republican incumbents and challengers who are already facing ferocious Democratic headwinds. — Benjamin Hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Reality Distortion Field Could be a Huge Asset for Democrats This Fall," 28 Apr. 2018

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