mix-up

[ miks-uhp ]

/ ˈmɪksˌʌp /

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See synonyms for mix-up on Thesaurus.com

noun

a confused state of things; muddle; tangle.

a fight.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of mix-up

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mix-up in a sentence

When the story of the mixup reached the Mexican media, so did allegations that Claudia had become the new head of Los Antrax.
Is Mexico's Kim Kardashian-Lookalike Assassin for Real?|Michael Daly|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He wanted an audience at his town hall in Concord but drew no one due to a robo-call mixup.
The Two GOP Candidates Being Shut Out|Jill Lawrence|October 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Owing to a mixup in paperwork, no one told the incoming Obama administration about the gold.
Click Here For Good News!|Christopher Buckley|March 8, 2009|DAILY BEAST
If one of their herders rambles over in my district and there is a mixup, I could easily lose a lot of grass and some sheep.
David Lannarck, Midget|George S. Harney

You may stir up all the excitement you like, but no more for Stacy Brown until he is at least dried out from the last mixup.
The Pony Rider Boys on the Blue Ridge|Frank Gee Patchin
The mules took fright, got into a regular mixup, broke the harness, and went up the towpath at a two-forty gait.
Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail|Ezra Meeker
But the ball stuck, and in the mixup both players fell to the ground and rolled over and over.
Baseball Joe Around the World|Lester Chadwick
They were in a mixup of crossways traffic that called for every atom of their attention, if they were to avoid collision.
Lad: A Dog|Albert Payson Terhune

British Dictionary definitions for mix-up

mix-up

noun

a confused condition or situation

informal a fight

verb mix up (tr, adverb)

to make into a mixtureto mix up ingredients

to confuse or confoundTom mixes John up with Bill

(often passive) to put (someone) into a state of confusionI'm all mixed up

(foll by in or with; usually passive) to involve (in an activity or group, esp one that is illegal)why did you get mixed up in that drugs racket?

mix it up US and Canadian informal to fight

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with 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]

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

mix-up

Origin of mix-up

Words related to mix-up

How to use mix-up in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mix-up

Other Idioms and Phrases with mix-up