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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
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
See more words from the same year
Articles Related to loose cannon
loose cannon
Why Do We Call a Dangerous Person a...
Blame Teddy Roosevelt
Dictionary Entries Near loose cannon
loose box
loose cannon
loose change
Cite this Entry
Style
MLA
“Loose cannon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loose. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
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Last Updated: 10 Mar 2024 - Updated example sentences
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