escape clause

A clause or provision specifying the means by which or the conditions under which a party can be freed from the obligations of a contract. The fiscal arrangement includes an escape clause for countries to suspend their repayments in case of any kind of economic emergency. The football superstar managed to get an escape clause into his $35 million contract, meaning he'll be able to force the owners to sell him next year if he wants to move to a more successful team. Unfortunately, the deal is off—the buyer used their escape clause to back out of the deal.