Definition of quicksand
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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of quicksand in a Sentence
freed from the quicksands of war
mired in the quicksand of credit card debt
Recent Examples of quicksand from the Web
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Thirty years ago the area was still dotted with giant heaps of black slag; there were even urban legends about how kids would get sucked into it like quicksand.
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For Mr. McConnell, cutting taxes is a much higher priority than health care, which time and President Trump have turned into quicksand for him and his fellow Republicans.
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Every driveway in South Brook is like that in the summer of 1974: kickstand quicksand.
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After Saturday’s March for Truth, where activists called for answers on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) strolled offstage and straight into quicksand.
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What if there were a way to avoid that conversational quicksand?
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If that's not your cup of tea, here are a few more options: Quicksand is a waxy, clay-like product that is gritty to the touch.
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Lift you to safety when the downward pull of quicksand is mightiest.
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To be clear, the attraction to Trubisky as the potential savior to tug the franchise out of the quicksand of NFL mediocrity had started long before mid-March.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quicksand.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of quicksand
14th century
QUICKSAND Defined for English Language Learners
quicksand
playDefinition of quicksand for English Language Learners
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: deep, wet sand into which heavy objects sink easily
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: a situation that is dangerous and difficult to escape from
QUICKSAND Defined for Kids
quicksand
playDefinition of quicksand for Students
: a deep area of loose sand mixed with water into which heavy objects sink
Learn More about quicksand
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See words that rhyme with quicksand Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for quicksand Spanish Central: Translation of quicksand Nglish: Translation of quicksand for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quicksand
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