safety valve
noun
plural safety valves
1
: a valve (as for a steam boiler) that allows gas or liquid under excessive pressure to escape in a controlled manner
2
: an outlet for pent-up energy or emotion
3
: something that relieves the pressure of overcrowding
Examples of safety valve in a Sentence
His hobbies act as a safety valve, relieving some of the pressure he feels from his job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Clean burning propane flame provides soothing warmth with electronic ignition and a safety valve for easy start.
—
Nora Colomer, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
Subversion can act as a safety valve, venting some of the fears and frustrations that drive states to attack one another.
—William C. Wohlforth, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021
Pressure in the tank continued to build until its safety valve broke.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
But Syria, for the Russian government, was less a source of threats than a safety valve that drew Islamist resources and personnel away from the North Caucasus insurgency, which by the 2010s had calmed down considerably.
—Michael Cecire, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2017
See all Example Sentences for safety valve 
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Nora Colomer, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
Subversion can act as a safety valve, venting some of the fears and frustrations that drive states to attack one another.
—William C. Wohlforth, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021
Pressure in the tank continued to build until its safety valve broke.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
But Syria, for the Russian government, was less a source of threats than a safety valve that drew Islamist resources and personnel away from the North Caucasus insurgency, which by the 2010s had calmed down considerably.
—Michael Cecire, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2017
See all Example Sentences for safety valve
Dictionary Entries Near safety valve
Cite this Entry
“Safety valve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety%20valve. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
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