noun
1. : a hatch providing an emergency exit from an enclosed space (as the cabin of an airplane)
2. : a means of evading something that is or may prove burdensome (as a responsibility or regulation) : a way out of a dilemma or difficulty
an agreement to negotiate with an escape hatch allowing for settlement by a third party in the event of a deadlock
headaches were an escape hatch in a world of insurmountable difficulties