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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

• mix-ups
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mix-ups
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of mix-up

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mix-up mix up mix-ups

Tiffany Feder, Dahan’s attorney, described the issue as a mix-up, and said her client never intended to illegally participate in voting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

South Korea were also victims of a mix-up when the national anthem for North Korea was played for the South's hockey team.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

A few months after Mark Walter became the chairman and majority owner of the Dodgers, he was told a fan in one of Dodger Stadium’s upper decks was upset about a mix-up with his tickets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

He did appear to confuse the two islands in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, though the White House denied any mix-up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Or perhaps it was a simple mix-up: some other Laura Moon’s body had been dragged from the highway wreckage.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

You can mix up the kinds of stocks you own: technology versus consumer goods, for example, or overseas versus U.S. companies.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Stier wanted there to be six stand-up sets, mirroring other comedy shows like Shannon Cloud’s, but he wanted to mix up the flow with breaks between the sets.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

Philippa said one of the men who walked into her room told her there had been a mix up with the bookings and asked if she had checked in properly.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

It may omit relevant information while summarizing, mix up who is speaking and misinterpret context—such as missing nonverbal cues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

I completely miss one of Cala’s pitches because I mix up the fastball and changeup signals...which gives the Red Devil on third base the perfect opportunity to steal home.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

The Asian Games in Japan will close later Sunday after a fortnight of record-smashing displays from young stars, but marred by mix-ups, patchy crowds and accusations of mismanagement.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Yet embarrassing discoveries, personal data mix-ups and even cybersecurity issues abound, so you should understand the risks—and ways to stay safe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

The mix-ups were the result of responding to a wildfire of unprecedented scale, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025

There have been several lawsuits in recent years brought against US fertility clinics over IVF mix-ups.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025

Why is it so dis-regarded when it is self-evidendy so useful in pre-venting enormous mix-ups?

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author

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