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
Today, with interest rates hovering near 7% and home values stabilizing, that safety valve has evaporated.
—
Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Tears are like safety valves of the heart when too much pressure is on them.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Los Angeles needed a big-bodied safety valve at tight end for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, with no Rams TE eclipsing 300 yards in 2024 and veteran mainstay Tyler Higbee coming off an injury-riddled season.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025
Others are simply deemed to be at-risk of committing school shootings themselves, and this is a twisted safety valve for their violence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for safety valve
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Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Tears are like safety valves of the heart when too much pressure is on them.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Los Angeles needed a big-bodied safety valve at tight end for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, with no Rams TE eclipsing 300 yards in 2024 and veteran mainstay Tyler Higbee coming off an injury-riddled season.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025
Others are simply deemed to be at-risk of committing school shootings themselves, and this is a twisted safety valve for their violence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for safety valve
Cite this Entry
“Safety valve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety%20valve. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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