From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmix somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb1 CONFUSEDto make the mistake of thinking that someone or something is another person or thing SYN confuse, muddle up with I always mix him up with his brother. They look so much alike. I think you might be mixing up Wetherall and Newton. I must have got the times mixed up.2 CONFUSEDto change the way things have been arranged, often by mistake, so that they are no longer in the same order My papers got all mixed up. Books on Scottish history were mixed up with books on volcanoes.3 CONFUSEDORDER/SEQUENCEto make someone feel confused They kept trying to mix me up.4 to prepare something by mixing things together It was hard work mixing up four tonnes of cement. → mixed up, mix-upTHESAURUSto mix foods, liquids etcmix to put different substances or liquids together so that they can no longer be separatedMix yellow and blue paint to make green.This cake is really easy – you just mix everything together in the bowl.Concrete is made by mixing gravel with sand, cement, and water.combine to mix things together so that they form a single substance. Combine is more formal than mixCombine the flour and the eggs.Steel is produced by combining iron with carbon.stir to move a spoon or stick around in a liquid, a pan etc, especially when you are mixing things togetherKeep stirring until the sauce becomes thicker. Stir the sugar into the warm milk.Stir the paint before you use it.blend to mix together soft or liquid substances to form a single smooth substanceBlend the yogurt with fresh fruit for a great drink.beat to mix food together quickly and thoroughly using a fork or kitchen tool – used especially about eggsBeat the eggs and add them to the milk and flour.whisk to mix foods that are soft or liquid very quickly so that air is mixed in, using a fork or special toolWhisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.dilute to mix a liquid with water in order to make it weakerDilute the bleach with two parts water to one part bleach.to mix styles, ideas, or other things mix to put different styles, ideas, or other things togetherHis music mixes jazz and classical styles.The different categories of books were all mixed together.combine to mix different styles, ideas, or other things, so that they work together or become a single thingDiets are most effective when they are combined with exercise.He combines Greek philosophy with Christian teachings.blend to combine parts of different things together, especially in a successful and effective wayThe teaching course blends theory and practice in the classroom.fuse to combine different styles in order to form a new styleThe band fuses African rhythms with traditional Celtic music.jumble to mix things together in an untidy way, so that they are not in any orderThe jigsaw pieces were all jumbled together in the box. → mix→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
mix up• Races insult each other, and make war, and make love, and they may mix these activities up.• He did an excellent job getting some steals, mixing it up and changing the complexion of the game.• Sally is everywhere, shooting, stealing, firing passes inside, mixing it up, attracting fouls, sinking free throws.• If I could get Polly to mix everything up for me, I would try not to burn it.• Was it because she is a mixed - up, self-centred space cadet?• Reggie mixed them all up, then we each took one.• I thought we might mix it up this year and try some blues.• Out the window, the last bit of sunlight mixed it up with the lights from the parking lot.got ... mixed up• I really do think Pam has got her views mixed up.• Instead, several accounts were set up and money got mixed up.• It started that way: laughing children, dancing men, crying women and then it got mixed up.• Your time and my time ... well they've somehow got all mixed up.• Kenneth Clarke watched from the window as the police got mixed up in the brawl.• Then Conley got mixed up with Charlie Keating and somehow lost millions of dollars, eventually ending up bankrupt.• The girl had not quite forgotten who she was, but had got her mixed up with her sister.• Answer: She would never have got mixed up with him in the first place.got ... mixed up• I really do think Pam has got her views mixed up.• Instead, several accounts were set up and money got mixed up.• It started that way: laughing children, dancing men, crying women and then it got mixed up.• Your time and my time ... well they've somehow got all mixed up.• Kenneth Clarke watched from the window as the police got mixed up in the brawl.• Then Conley got mixed up with Charlie Keating and somehow lost millions of dollars, eventually ending up bankrupt.• The girl had not quite forgotten who she was, but had got her mixed up with her sister.• Answer: She would never have got mixed up with him in the first place.mix-upˈmix-up noun [countable] informalMISTAKE a mistake that causes confusion about details or arrangementsmix-up in Geoffrey rushed in late pleading a mix-up in his diary.mix-up between A council official blamed a mix-up between departments.mix-up over There was a mix-up over the hotel booking.► see thesaurus at mistakeExamples from the Corpus
mix-up• I'm afraid there's been a mix-up in the booking - we were expecting you tomorrow.• There was a mix-up of languages.• There was a mix-up over the train times and I arrived two hours late.• It was a genuine mix-up, but it worked out for me - - and not for poor old Mr Munro.• A patient received the wrong drugs because of a hospital mix-up.• Seems to have been some sort of mix-up.• That mix-up was just one of several election problems that put then-Registrar of Voters Germaine Wong on the hot seat.• Darlington police have since apologised for the mix-up.• The police have now returned Mr Sullivan's car and apologized for the mix-up.• In the mix-up the prophet was at one time on the point of being executed.• The mix-up with Luigi started Perry thinking. 