mix-up

American  

[miks-uhp] / ˈmɪksˌʌp /

noun

1. a confused state of things; muddle; tangle.

2. a fight.

---

mix-up British  

noun

1. a confused condition or situation

2. informal a fight

---

verb

1. to make into a mixture

   to mix up ingredients

2. to confuse or confound

   Tom mixes John up with Bill

3. (often passive) to put (someone) into a state of confusion

   I'm all mixed up

4. to involve (in an activity or group, esp one that is illegal)

   why did you get mixed up in that drugs racket?

5. informal to fight

mix up Idioms  

1. Confuse, confound, as in His explanation just mixed me up even more , or I always mix up the twins . [c. 1800]

2. Involve or implicate. This usage is usually put in the passive, as in He got mixed up with the wrong crowd . [Mid-1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of mix-up

First recorded in 1835–45; noun use of verb phrase mix up

Example Sentences

United Airlines helped re-route Calderón to Nicaragua — and the airline did bump up his seat to first class to make up for the mix-up.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

For Taiwanese student Yinwen Yeh and her mother Karen Fan, it is the result of a diary mix-up.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

When asked to comment on the apparent mix-up, a Groq spokesperson referred to the company’s blog post, which they said “includes the factual terms of the agreement.”

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

Robert told me recently that his favorite mix-up story predates my marriage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Father had had a good chuckle over the mix-up and Richard Parker s name had stuck.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel