loose cannon

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His mother doesn't acknowledge that Ruben is a loose cannon loaded with vast quantities of gunpowder.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

That’s not to say that Harris is best as a loose cannon.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2024

Nixon and Kissinger saw him as a loose cannon, and they wondered whether he was divulging these secrets, possibly to foreign agents.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2023

Those are the rules, and vice presidents who break them are blasted for going off-script or being a loose cannon.

From Washington Post • Apr. 27, 2023

They must think Hudson is a loose cannon and I’m the summer school know-it-all.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera