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sinking sand

[/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ sænd/]
nounpl: sinking sands
areia movediça
1. Sand that yields under weight or pressure, causing objects or people to sink into it; quicksand
The explorers had to carefully navigate across the sinking sand in the desert.
Os exploradores tiveram que navegar cuidadosamente através da areia movediça no deserto.
2. Figuratively, an unstable or unreliable foundation or situation
Building a relationship on lies is like building on sinking sand.
Construir um relacionamento sobre mentiras é como construir sobre areia movediça.
Synonyms
quicksandunstable groundshifting sand
Antonyms
solid groundbedrockfirm foundation

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
areia movediça
Standard term used throughout Brazil
São Paulo
areia movediça
Common usage in formal and informal contexts
Portugal
areia movediça
Standard Portuguese term; sometimes used figuratively in literature

Related Idioms & Phrases

build on sinking sand - construct something on an unstable foundation
sinking sand situation - an unstable or precarious circumstance
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