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jumble up

B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To mix things up so they are messy and hard to find or understand.

Literal meaning: To throw things up in disorder — partially transparent.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To put objects into a disorganized, messy state so that things are hard to find or separate.

"Someone has jumbled up all the files and now I can't find anything."

Grammar: separable
2 B1 neutral

To confuse or scramble words, letters, or ideas so that they are difficult to understand.

"The puzzle shows a jumbled-up word and you have to guess what it is."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 neutral

To confuse someone's thoughts or feelings.

"The unexpected news left her feelings all jumbled up."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Used both physically (papers, clothes, files) and figuratively (thoughts, memories, words). Common in British English. The passive form 'jumbled up' is very frequent ('the letters were all jumbled up'). Also used as a noun: 'a jumble'.

Commonly used with

letters words thoughts papers clothes memories files

Forms

Base
jumble up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
jumbles up
he/she/it
Past simple
jumbled up
yesterday
Past participle
jumbled up
have + pp
-ing form
jumbling up
continuous

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