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
Others are simply deemed to be at-risk of committing school shootings themselves, and this is a twisted safety valve for their violence.
—
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2025
In that way revenue triggers act as a fiscal safety valve, ensuring that if revenues unexpectedly decline, that drop will not be exacerbated by additional rate reduction.
—Patrick Gleason, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
As long as there was open land, the frontier served as a safety valve to alleviate domestic conflicts, most notably over the extension of slavery.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
His presence as a safety valve and red-zone threat would aid Bryce Young's progression as a third-year starter.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for safety valve
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Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2025
In that way revenue triggers act as a fiscal safety valve, ensuring that if revenues unexpectedly decline, that drop will not be exacerbated by additional rate reduction.
—Patrick Gleason, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
As long as there was open land, the frontier served as a safety valve to alleviate domestic conflicts, most notably over the extension of slavery.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
His presence as a safety valve and red-zone threat would aid Bryce Young's progression as a third-year starter.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 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 25 Jul. 2025.
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