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• mix-up
  mix-up

  noun

  a confused state of things; muddle; tangle.
• mix up
  mix up

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

mix-up

American  

[miks-uhp] / ˈmɪksˌʌp /

noun

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

2. a fight.

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mix-up British  

noun

1. a confused condition or situation

2. informal a fight

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of mix-up

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

Example Sentences

He also had to buy clothes while his luggage remained elsewhere, and had to pay for a hotel in Managua because his original lodging plans fell through due to the mix-up.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

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

The family only realised there had been a mix-up when he appeared with classmates dressed as elves, Jade said.

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025

And as he often did, he imagined that his dad was still alive, that it had all been some horrible mistake, a mix-up in the hospital, mistaken identity.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin