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Glite Dictionary
to mix up

to mix up

65 2.7
To make people confused and things messy
  • phrasal verb
  • /mɪks ʌp/
  • Informal
translation icon : confundir
  • One day, I accidentally mixed up two or three different test tubes and created a new species altogether.
  • get mixed up

In any case, we might mix ideas up with others.

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Examples

Synonyms

to mess up
vsto mix up
  • Informal
52 3.0

To make something untidy, dirty, or not in the right place

can mean that but also refers to confusing people or making ideas unclear
to stump
vsto mix up
39 5.3

To make someone unable to answer a question

is less focused on inability to answer and more on general disorder or confusion
to confuse
vsto mix up
38 1.9

Mix things up so their order is not clear

includes that loss of order but also confusing people, not only items
to muddle
vsto mix up
33 4.8

Mix things up so they are unclear

is more general, covering both confusing people and making things disorganized
to tangle
vsto mix up
28 4.7

To make a story or idea hard to understand

includes that entangling but also covers general confusion or disorder
to jumble
vsto mix up
22 3.8

Mix things together in a confused way

adds that meaning but also applies to confusing people or ideas
to muddy
vsto mix up
18 4.4

Make something less clear or more confusing

also includes physically disorganizing items, not only reducing clarity
to confound
vsto mix up
12 7.3

Mistake one thing or person for another

is broader, covering general confusion and disorder beyond mistaken identity
to addle
vsto mix up
6 8.9

To make a person confused and unable to think clearly

also applies to confusing objects or creating physical disorder
to disorganize
vsto mix up
  • US
4 4.5

To make something lose its order or structure

is more general, also covering temporary confusion or unclear ideas
to create a mess
vsto mix up
1 2.1

Make a place messy so things are not in order

is wider, also applying to confusing meanings or mental disorganization
to snarl up
vsto mix up
  • UK
1 7.8

Make things tangled or blocked so progress slows

is broader, applying also to simple confusion or untidiness not blocking progress
to disarray
vsto mix up
1 5.6

To make things untidy or cause confusion

also includes confusing meanings or unclear information, not only physical mess
to muddy up
vsto mix up
  • Informal
6.7

To make an idea or situation unclear and confusing

covers that complication but also means simply to confuse or disorder things
to muzz
vsto mix up
9.9

To make thoughts or words unclear, often from noise and tiredness

is wider, including disorganizing things as well as mental confusion

Antonyms

to organize
  • US
662 1.6

Arrange people, things, and activities so they work well

to clarify
248 3.3

To make something clear so others can understand it

How Confusing

to bewilder
29 5.3
to perplex
35 6.3
to mix up
  • Informal
65 2.7
to muddle
33 4.8
to confuse
266 1.9

Surface Forms

mix up infinitive
mixed up past
mixed up past participle
mixing up present participle
mixes up third person singular

Morphology

mix + up

The sense 'to confuse or make disorganized' is directly inferable from 'mix' (to join or combine) plus the particle 'up' which commonly signals thoroughness or disorder; together they imply putting things into a jumbled/combined state. This compositional relation is straightforward and predictable for a B1 learner who knows the constituents, so the expression is transparent.

Etymology

Mix up comes from the simple picture of taking different things and mixing them up in one place, like names or papers thrown together into a mess. When items are mixed up they become hard to tell apart, so the phrase means 'to confuse'.