Bridges "are my escape valve" between the typically long Spanish breaks during August and at Christmas.

WSJ: Spain Plans to Burn Its Bridges to Keep Vacationers on the Job

But for many of Mr. Refaat's counterparts, the global recession of the late 2000s closed an escape valve for Egypt.

WSJ: Arab World Built Colleges, but Not Jobs

As a result, shareholders gave CEOs an escape valve that, the reasoning went, would encourage them to work in the long-term interests of their companies.

WSJ: In Defense of the CEO

The proposed New York legislation includes an escape valve, but it requires a super-majority vote (60%) to raise taxes by more than 2% in a year.

FORBES: Property Tax Caps and Local Governance

Note the caveat: there must be an escape valve.

FORBES: Property Tax Caps and Local Governance

They do not have the safety-valve of banking books, where souring assets can escape the rigours of mark-to-market accounting.

ECONOMIST: Investment banking: Is there a future? | The

It was feared that the lake would pour over the top and burst down the valley but fortunately the river gouged out an escape route along the side of the landblock which acted as a safety valve and limited the damage.

ECONOMIST: From the archive