mix up

present singular third person mixes up · participle present mixing up · participle past mixed up · past mixed up

1. idiomatictransitiveTo mix or blend thoroughly and completely.

   She mixed up peat moss, humus, and compost to make potting soil.

   Synonyms: scramble, jumble

2. idiomaticintransitiveTo combine thoroughly.

   All the smells of the food had mixed up together.

3. idiomatictransitiveTo prepare something from ingredients that are mixed.

   She mixed up a batch of her own potting soil.

   1 more example

   The picture of their life that follows suggests in a few words a country kitchen—the sizzling of fish over the charcoal fire, fanned by the bellows to a hot flame, the mixing up of a Thasian sauce for the fish, the kneading of dough.

   1956, Katherine Lever, “Aristophanes, Comic Poet”, in The Art of Greek Comedy, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 140

4. idiomatictransitiveTo confuse or reverse.

   I always mix up Jack with Jake.

   1 more example

   I always mix up Vermont and New Hampshire on a map.

   Synonyms: jumble, addle, baffle, vex, lose, embroil, stick, stump

5. idiomatictransitiveTo confuse, befuddle (a person).

   I have one but it's such a nuisance to swap the drives. It almost takes three hands to tip the laptop, and there is a program I have to use too to switch that always mixes me up. I leave the floppy drive in because my digital camera uses a floppy disk.

   2004 October 22, **Dalin**, “Whopee”, in alt.fiftyplus (Usenet)

6. oftentransitiveusually passive voiceTo become involved with, especially socially or romantically.

   He got mixed up with a bad crowd.

   4 more examples

   Then he got mixed up with an older woman.

   Now, he's mixed up with some half-baked religion.

   Hey! What're you gonna do? Nice college boy, huh? Didn't want to get mixed up in the family business. Now you want to gun down a police captain. Why? 'Cause he slapped you in the face a little bit?

   1972 March 14, Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather, spoken by Sonny Corleone (James Caan), Paramount Pictures

   KEELHAUL KEY!? That's that cursed island! Don't get mixed up with that place, for your own sake.

   2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Rogueport

   Synonyms: embroil

7. To shuffle.

   mix up this Rubik's cube

plural mix ups · alternative mix-up · alternative mixup

1. A mix, blend, or variety.

   Next time, let's ask a group with a different mix up.

   Synonyms: muddle

2. idiomaticA confusion or reversal.

   I refuse to send them any more money until they fix this mix up.