mix up — confuse two things
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To think that one person or thing is another, usually by mistake.
Say it like a native
Textbook I frequently confuse the two brothers with one another.
Native I always mix the two brothers up.
'Mix up' is the everyday verb for confusing two things; 'confuse with one another' is stiff.
Pattern: mix up A and B / mix A up with B
In use
- I always mix up their names because they look so similar.daily life
- Sometimes I mix up the dates for my appointments, especially when I'm busy.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I always mix up them.
✓ I always mix them up.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'mix them up'.
Common collocations
mix up + confusables— the names, the dates, the twins, you two
Don't confuse it
'Mix up' here means to confuse, not to physically combine things together.
Related
- mix up (combine things) — Another meaning of 'mix up' is 'combine things'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.