Phrasal verb
mix up
Meanings
to confuse one person or thing with another
to put things in the wrong order or the wrong place by accident
to cause a plan or event to go wrong by making a mistake
Definition
To mix up means to confuse people or things so they are mistaken for each other or end up in the wrong order.
To mix up is to confuse two or more people, items, or pieces of information and treat them as if they were the same. It can also mean to put things into the wrong order or the wrong place by accident. This often happens when things look similar or when someone is in a hurry.
Examples
- I always mix up their birthdays because they’re so close together.
- You mixed up the blue and black pens, so my notes look messy.
- He mixed up the meeting time and arrived an hour early.
- She mixed up the boxes and sent the wrong one to her friend.
- They mixed up the instructions and built the shelves backwards.
Common mistake
Learners often say "mix with" when they mean "mix up" for confusing two things (correct: "mix up A and B").
More phrasal verbs
- go on To go on means to continue or keep happening.
- carry out To carry out something means to do it or complete it, especially a plan, task, or instruction.
- set up To set up means to arrange or prepare something so it is ready to use or happen.
- pick up “Pick up” most commonly means to collect someone or something from a place, usually by going there.
- go back To go back means to return to a place, time, or earlier situation.