escape hatch

American  

noun

1. a hatch used for emergency escape, as from a submarine or aircraft.

2. a means of avoiding a troublesome situation; a ready or handy way out.

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escape hatch British  

noun

1. a means of escape in an emergency, esp from a submarine

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Etymology

Origin of escape hatch

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Nor is resignation an escape hatch for most military officers.

From The Wall Street Journal

While both sides' leadership have shown little appetite for compromise, there have been signs of life on the back benches, with a handful of moderate Democrats working to find an escape hatch.

From Barron's

Red warning lights flash above the door, and inside there is an emergency escape hatch into a tunnel in case something goes wrong.

From BBC

Red warning lights flash above the door, and inside there is an emergency escape hatch into a tunnel in case something went wrong.

From BBC

Throughout the novel, Rhys references Kant, De Beauvoir, Sartre, Virginia Woolf and Epictetus, among others, using knowledge as a balm and escape hatch.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• side door