safety valve
Americannoun
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a device that, when actuated by a gas or vapor pressure above a predetermined level, opens and allows the gas or vapor to escape until its pressure is reduced to a pressure equal to or below that of the predetermined level.
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a harmless outlet for emotion, tension, etc.
noun
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a valve in a pressure vessel that allows fluid to escape when a predetermined level of pressure has been reached
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a harmless outlet for emotion, energy, tension, etc
Etymology
Origin of safety valve
First recorded in 1805–15
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.
In addition, they note that now, parents will still have access to the debt, but thanks to the changes to repayment, they won’t have much of a safety valve if it becomes unmanageable.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Britain’s parliamentary system creates a ready vehicle for leadership changes between elections, and society historically has used that process as a political safety valve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
The notwithstanding clause was brought in as a safety valve.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
It is an essential safety valve that remains "effective only if the conflict doesn't last too long", cautioned Perrin.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
There is one valve closed by a weight, although it is not in this case a safety valve; however, Papin describes the operation of such a valve.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
