mix up

verb

1. assemble without order or sense

-

She jumbles the words when she is supposed to write a sentence

• Syn: ↑jumble, ↑confuse

• Derivationally related forms: ↑confusion (for: ↑confuse), ↑jumble (for: ↑jumble)

• Hypernyms: ↑assemble, ↑piece, ↑put together, ↑set up, ↑tack, ↑tack together

• Hyponyms: ↑addle, ↑muddle, ↑puddle

• Verb Group: ↑confuse, ↑confound

• Verb Frames:

-

Somebody ——s something

2. cause to be perplexed or confounded

-

This problem stumped her

• Syn: ↑stump

• Derivationally related forms: ↑stumper (for: ↑stump)

• Hypernyms:

↑perplex, ↑vex, ↑stick, ↑get, ↑puzzle, ↑mystify, ↑baffle, ↑beat, ↑pose, ↑bewilder, ↑flummox, ↑stupefy, ↑nonplus, ↑gravel, ↑amaze, ↑dumbfound

• Verb Frames:

-

Something ——s somebody

-

The performance is likely to mix up Sue

* * *

mix up [phrasal verb]

informal

1 mix (someone or something) up or mix up (someone or something) : to mistakenly think that (someone or something) is someone or something else

Those two women look so much alike–I always mix them up. [=I never know who is who]

He got the days mixed up [=confused] and thought the meeting was today.

I always mix up the times when my classes start.

2 mix (something) up or mix up (something) : to mistakenly put (something) in a place where something else should be

I accidentally mixed up the two files. [=I put each of the files in the place where the other one should have gone]

— often + with

Did my homework get mixed up with your papers?

3 mix (someone) up or mix up (someone)

3 a : to cause (someone) to be involved in a usually dangerous or improper activity or situation

— usually used as (be/get) mixed up in

He got mixed up in a plan to destroy the government. [=he became involved in a plan to destroy the government]

3 b : to cause (someone) to become involved with a particular group of people and especially with people who cause trouble

— usually used as (be/get) mixed up with

She was mixed up with the wrong crowd.

teenage boys getting mixed up with gangs

see also ↑mixed-up, ↑mix-up

• • •

Main Entry: ↑mix