relief valve

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The previous Sunday, it unveiled an emergency lending program meant to serve as a relief valve for banks that need to raise cash.

From New York Times

There’s no doubt drug courts work, though, in the sense that many defendants use them as a relief valve to get treatment and to clear their records.

From Seattle Times

"In the Pacific there is no equivalent and the relief valve is ENSO," which stands for "El Niño and the Southern Oscillation."

From Salon

“It’s great that the economy and small businesses have this relief valve,” Mr. Pardue said.

From New York Times

For others, as adult day centers and senior centers closed, “the feeling of being alone, with no relief valve for the complex emotions that come with caregiving, was amplified,” Ms. Whiting said.

From New York Times