safety valve
noun
plural safety valves
1
: a valve (as for a steam boiler) that allows gas or liquid under excessive pressure to escape in a controlled manner
2
: an outlet for pent-up energy or emotion
3
: something that relieves the pressure of overcrowding
Examples of safety valve in a Sentence
His hobbies act as a safety valve, relieving some of the pressure he feels from his job.
Recent Examples on the Web
The quarterback, meanwhile, is operating without a safety valve.
—
Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Engram presented himself throughout the offseason as a reliable safety valve over the middle for Nix.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
The sixth-year tight end could act as a safety valve this season for the young quarterbacks on the Saints roster.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Sep. 2025
Philosophers Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer argued that humor in corporate capitalist media was a mere safety valve, siphoning off protest and releasing righteous outrage as laughter.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for safety valve
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Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Engram presented himself throughout the offseason as a reliable safety valve over the middle for Nix.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
The sixth-year tight end could act as a safety valve this season for the young quarterbacks on the Saints roster.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Sep. 2025
Philosophers Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer argued that humor in corporate capitalist media was a mere safety valve, siphoning off protest and releasing righteous outrage as laughter.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for safety valve
Cite this Entry
“Safety valve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety%20valve. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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