Meanings
plural escape valves
- figurativelyAny psychological mechanism to relieve stress.
Lastly, self-affirmation provides us an escape valve if we come face to face with the intrinsic evil of our actions and role within a group.
2018, Peter Beattie, Social Evolution, Political Psychology, and the Media in Democracy, page 148
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna valve in a container in which pressure can build up (as a steam boiler); it opens automatically when the pressure reaches a dangerous level
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian изпускателен клапан
- изпускателен клапан (izpuskatelen klapan)A valve on a boiler so as to let the steam escape
Spanish válvula de escape
- válvula de escapeA valve on a boiler so as to let the steam escape
Cite this entry
escape valve. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escape%20valve
“escape valve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escape%20valve. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “escape valve,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/escape%20valve.
Source: escape valve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.