1 A2 idiomatic neutral
To confuse one person or thing with another; to mistake one for the other.
"I always mix up the twins — they look absolutely identical to me."
separable
mix up
A2 neutral separable transitive
To confuse two or more things or people, or to combine ingredients together.
In plain English
To think one thing is another thing by mistake, or to stir things together.
What does "mix up" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To combine several ingredients or elements together.
"Mix up the flour, eggs, and milk in a large bowl until smooth."
separable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To put things in disorder, making them difficult to sort out.
"Someone has mixed up all the files — I can't find anything in this cabinet."
separable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
(get mixed up in) To become involved in something undesirable or illegal.
"He got mixed up in a fraud scheme and lost everything."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To mix things up into an unclear or disordered state — the confusion sense follows naturally.
Actually means
To think one thing is another thing by mistake, or to stir things together.
Usage tip
One of the most commonly used phrasal verbs in English. 'Get mixed up' means to become confused. 'A mix-up' (noun) means an error caused by confusion. Used in cooking, bureaucracy, and everyday confusion alike. Very broad usage across all registers.
Words that pair with "mix up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
names dates orders ingredients twins files
How to conjugate "mix up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
mix up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
mixes up
he/she/it
Past simple
mixed up
yesterday
Past participle
mixed up
have + pp
-ing form
mixing up
continuous
Hear "mix up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "mix up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "mix up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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