safety net

American  

noun

• safety nets
  plural

1. a large net rigged between a person, as a trapeze performer, and the ground as protection in a fall.

2. something that provides a margin of protection or security.

   the safety net of federal credit for financial institutions.

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safety net British  

noun

1. a net used in a circus to catch high-wire and trapeze artistes if they fall

2. any means of protection from hardship or loss, such as insurance

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• safety-net
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• safety nets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of safety net

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

safety net

“Also, as a single parent, she was very aware of ‘anything can happen,’ and she wanted us to have a safety net if, God forbid, something happened,” Avery said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Those taxes could also fund a social safety net for retraining people whose jobs won’t exist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

At 21, he is the right age profile and ideally suited to challenging Shaw for his place, with the safety net of there being enough games to keep both men happy.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Banks typically protect up to $250,000 in consumer accounts with insurance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — a safety net that most peer-to-peer transaction apps lack.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

She liked to be in control — it was her safety net — and she could feel that net being ripped away from her by the star-shaped fruit.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray