mix up with

mix up with — phrasal verb

  • mix up withbase form
  • mixes up with3rd person singular
  • mixing up with-ing form
  • mixed up withpast simple

1. to wrongly think that one person or thing is another person or thing because the

1.片語動詞及物B1
釋義

to wrongly think that one person or thing is another person or thing because they look or seem similar — for example, mixing a colleague up with a stranger, or mixing two keys up with each other.

例句

After Eliska cut her hair short, I mixed her up with a new student.

mix + object + up with + object (person)

Be careful not to mix the blue folder up with the red one — they hold different project reports.

separated word order: mix + object + up with

同義詞
  • confuse with

    more general; can apply to ideas, not just physical objects or people

  • mistake for

    focuses on the incorrect perception itself, not the act of putting things together

反義詞
  • tell apart

    to correctly see the difference between two similar things

文法句型

mix + object + up with + object

mix + up + object + with + object

用法筆記

Object can appear between 'mix' and 'up' (mix the files up with…) or after 'up' (mix up the files with…). Both orders are common.

常見錯誤

❌I mixed with my sister's phone.
✅I mixed my sister's phone up with mine.
💡You must include 'up' to form the phrasal verb; 'mix with' alone means something different (to socialise).

2. to become connected with a person or group whose influence is bad or likely to c

2.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to become connected with a person or group whose influence is bad or likely to create problems — for instance, a teenager joining a violent gang, or a business partner who brings criminals into the company.

例句

Tuan got mixed up with a group of car thieves when he was only fifteen.

passive form: get mixed up with + criminal group

Rachid's parents feared the older friends would mix him up with the wrong crowd.

active form: mix + object + up with + group

同義詞
  • get involved with

    more neutral; 'mix up with' carries a stronger negative connotation

  • fall in with

    suggests accidental or gradual involvement, often with a bad group

反義詞

文法句型

be + mixed up with + person/group

get + mixed up with + person/group

mix + object + up with + person/group

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the passive (be mixed up with / get mixed up with). The active form (someone mixes someone up with a group) is less common and usually implies the subject caused the involvement.

常見錯誤

❌He got mixed up in a bad crowd.
✅He got mixed up with a bad crowd.
💡Use 'with' for people and groups; 'mixed up in' is used for activities or situations (e.g., 'mixed up in a crime').