Quicksand is an area of liquified soil or sand into which a person or object may sink. In fictional worlds quicksand may pose a danger and act as a terrain hazard. They may be found in swamplands, jungles, and other biomes. Vines and roots may be used as a means of escape.

Real quicksand is not capable of entirely submerging a person due to the natural buoyancy of the human body. However, a person entrapped within quicksand may succumb to other dangers such as heat stroke, dehydration, flooding waters, or animal scavengers. To escape, one should slowly move their legs to loosen the sand and rotate their body to ‘float’ on the sand before slowly moving to firmer ground. Panicked and quick movements may only worsen ensnarement.

While quicksand has become a popular trope in modern media, its’ depiction is far from accurate.