plural safeties
1
: the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss
2
: a device (as on a weapon or a machine) designed to prevent inadvertent or hazardous operation
3
a(1)
: a situation in football in which a member of the offensive team is tackled behind its own goal line that counts two points for the defensive team compare touchback
(2)
: a member of a defensive backfield in football who occupies the deepest position in order to receive a kick, defend against a forward pass, or stop a ballcarrier
b
: a billiard shot made with no attempt to score or so as to leave the balls in an unfavorable position for the opponent
c
: base hit
safetied; safetying
: to protect against failure, breakage, or accident
safety a rifle
Examples of safety in a Sentence
Noun
The changes were made in the interest of public safety.
He made some suggestions about how to improve airline safety.
I'm worried about the safety of the people who were left behind.
We were reluctant to leave the relative safety of our hotel.
She was only a mile from the safety of her home when the accident occurred.
The car has been redesigned for improved safety.
The toys are inspected for safety.
They were led to safety by the rescuers.
The injured hiker was finally able to reach safety.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
This week, air traffic controllers with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a labor union and aviation safety organization, demanded the end of the shutdown and handed out leaflets.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025
Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
One video showed the party leader being helped to safety.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for safety
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Noun
The pair played key roles in ensuring West Ham’s safety, and Nuno will hope potential arrivals have similar impacts.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
This week, air traffic controllers with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a labor union and aviation safety organization, demanded the end of the shutdown and handed out leaflets.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Prior to the game, FIU announced that two of its five starting defensive backs — cornerback Brian Blades II (foot) and safety Shamir Sterlin (hamstring) — would miss the game due to injuries.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
One video showed the party leader being helped to safety.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for safety
Cite this Entry
“Safety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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