quicksand

noun

quick·​sand ˈkwik-ˌsand 

1

: sand readily yielding to pressure

especially : a deep mass of loose sand mixed with water into which heavy objects readily sink

2

: something that entraps or frustrates

lead poor people into consumerist quicksand

—Robert Wright

Synonyms

• entanglement
• mesh(es)
• morass
• net
• noose
• quagmire
• snare
• tanglement
• toil(s)
• trap
• web

Examples of quicksand in a Sentence

freed from the quicksands of war

mired in the quicksand of credit card debt

Recent Examples on the Web

In a small role, Anjan Vasan nails the put-upon female cop (the lone one in the department) seeking to unmask this cursing culprit, a task that’s hard to achieve since she through the quicksand of sexism that surrounds her. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

Watch Driver discuss his son's cynical approach to cinema — and his own childhood fear of quicksand — in the clip above. —Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

quicksand

noun

quick·​sand ˈkwik-ˌsand 

: a deep mass of loose sand mixed with water into which heavy objects sink