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.

I can’t imagine being more of a loose cannon, or how you would navigate it without that grounding.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

“He had to protect himself from his loose cannon partner over here,” he said.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026

They might be rock-solid characters, or a loose cannon.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

“One man’s loose cannon is another man’s freedom fighter,” she wrote in 1987 of the city’s cast of characters in 1987.

From Slate • Jun. 14, 2023

Increasingly, the higher-ups at the agency came to see William as a loose cannon.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield