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.

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

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2024

Door staff and witnesses told the trial that O'Pray had been a "loose cannon" and was "very erratic" that night.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2023

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

“You and I never got along. Why would you want a loose cannon on your team?”

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan