a way of allowing someone to express strong or negative emotions without harming other people.
I often think football acts as a safety valve for a lot of stored-up male aggression.
(often + for)
(redirected from a safety valve)
safety valve
An activity that one does to release strong feelings (such as stress) in a healthy or positive way. Golf has become my safety valve—when I'm really stressed about work, I make sure to schedule a tee time.