quicksand

noun

quick·​sand ˈkwik-ˌsand How to pronounce quicksand (audio)
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 quicksandRobert Wright

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These moves chip away at the 188,000 pages bloating the Code of Federal Regulations, freeing businesses and families from bureaucratic quicksand. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 But the question of who’s going to kill or get killed ultimately proves less important than how their pasts have shaped these men — or rather trapped them, like quicksand. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 June 2025 Though admittedly macabre, each attempt — think plane crashes, elevator ambushes, and even death by quicksand — features trademark Andersonian humor and comical loopholes to Korda's safety, that, gruesome or not, can't help but make one smile. EW.com, 6 June 2025 Two-thirds of the season remains, and the quicksand and trap doors will eventually get someone, if only because that’s how pitching works. Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for quicksand

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quicksand was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Quicksand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quicksand. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

quicksand

noun
quick·​sand ˈkwik-ˌsand How to pronounce quicksand (audio)
: a deep mass of loose sand mixed with water into which heavy objects sink

More from Merriam-Webster on quicksand

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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