safety net

noun

: something that provides security against misfortune or difficulty

Examples of safety net in a Sentence

The program provides a safety net for people who have lost their jobs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Why Is Dining Alone So Difficult? Image Image Image These shares have been an important safety net to residents like Eddie Sua and his family. Prianka Srinivasan Matthew Abbott, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025 The agency sounded the warning to the state health department and the CDC, one example of local health departments’ important role in the public health safety net. Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025 Reforms to Medicaid are one possible avenue, with the House blueprint mandating a level of cuts that almost ensures the social safety net will be rolled back in some form. Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Mar. 2025 The trauma of pandemic isolation clung to him, and despite every safety net available, his anxiety remained an indomitable force. Elizabeth Austin, Time, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for safety net

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of safety net was in 1877

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Cite this Entry

“Safety net.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety%20net. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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