mix-up

[miks-uhp]

noun

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

2. a fight.

mix-up

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of mix-up¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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

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