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quicksand

[/ˈkwɪksænd/]
nounfemininepl: quicksands
areia movediça
1. A loose sand that yields easily to pressure and tends to suck down objects resting on its surface, caused by water saturation
The explorer sank into the quicksand while crossing the desert.
O explorador afundou na areia movediça enquanto atravessava o deserto.
2. A precarious, unstable, or inescapable situation (figurative)
The economy is sinking into quicksand with rising inflation.
A economia está afundando em areia movediça com a inflação crescente.
Synonyms
sinking sandshifting sandtreacherous ground
Antonyms
solid groundfirm footingstable surface

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
areia movediça
Standard term used throughout Brazil
Portugal
areia movediça
Same term used in European Portuguese
São Paulo
areia movente
Alternative but less common variant

Related Idioms & Phrases

sinking into quicksand - gradually falling into a difficult situation
caught in quicksand - trapped in an inescapable predicament
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