spring-loaded
Americanadjective
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.
Researchers say the species uses a powerful spring-loaded silk trap to capture a single type of prey, catching one ant at a time in what they describe as "the ultimate specialization."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
In the lower right of the steering wheel, the metallic, spring-loaded Manettino selector engages one of five drive modes, including Sport mode and Electronic Stability Control Off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Ultra Hand is named after the 1966 toy that operated like spring-loaded tongs, a relic of Nintendo’s history as a toy manufacturer.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 26, 2023
There was a whoosh of air as the spring-loaded gate valve opened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2023
Genie pushed Ernie’s leg off him, but it snapped right back up to its place on Genie’s lap as if it were spring-loaded.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
