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
Robert WrightExamples of quicksand in a Sentence
freed from the quicksands of war
mired in the quicksand of credit card debt
Recent Examples on the Web
The trick works too on Dratch, who once feared monsters under her bed, and Oswalt, who jokes about quicksand being his biggest worry.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
The novel is set in 1984, but the plot keeps sliding backward into the sixties, in woozy reveries that engulf Zoyd like quicksand.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
The Little Calumet, just blocks from where Steagall used to live, had shores like quicksand from all the toxic sludge and the Grand Calumet River was one of the most polluted bodies of water emptying into Lake Michigan.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Sep. 2025
But in recent years, psychologists, sociologists and concerned parents alike have noticed a growing number of young adults who seem caught in this adolescent quicksand — unable or unwilling to take the next step into adulthood.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quicksand
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.
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
The novel is set in 1984, but the plot keeps sliding backward into the sixties, in woozy reveries that engulf Zoyd like quicksand.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
The Little Calumet, just blocks from where Steagall used to live, had shores like quicksand from all the toxic sludge and the Grand Calumet River was one of the most polluted bodies of water emptying into Lake Michigan.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Sep. 2025
But in recent years, psychologists, sociologists and concerned parents alike have noticed a growing number of young adults who seem caught in this adolescent quicksand — unable or unwilling to take the next step into adulthood.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quicksand
Cite this Entry
“Quicksand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quicksand. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quicksand
noun
quick·sand
ˈkwik-ˌsand
: a deep mass of loose sand mixed with water into which heavy objects sink
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share