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

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Etymology

Origin of safety net

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

safety net

BT chief executive Alison Kirkby said the deal provided "a safety net for the households and businesses who rely on TalkTalk".

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Backers of the measure say the parks department provides an essential safety net for the city’s low-income residents, offering summer camps, sports activities and senior programs for free or at reduced prices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Moreover, although he holds passports for both countries, he has further fortified his safety net with German citizenship, for which he is eligible due to his German-born parents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

He said it would enable the building of a "vital safety net" and provide a democratically accountable means to "halt a runaway system before it can compromise our critical national infrastructure".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

All too soon the coins were gone, and with them, our only safety net.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

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