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What's the word for confusing *two* things for one another?

English Language & Usage Asked on July 4, 2021

Is there a word (verb) or short phrase to express the fact that given two things A and B, someone has confused A for B, and B for A. In other words, the person got the two items exactly wrong?

I thought of the words "confuse" and "mistake". But they do not seem to be strong enough as they do not express the idea that exactly the opposite is true or that there are only two objects/items in the domain.

One Answer

To confuse, to muddle (up), to mix up or (my preference) mistake (a person or thing) for (some other person or thing)

to suppose erroneously the former to be the latter; to identify wrongly as (OED)

a1616 - W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) ii. i. 83
You haue mistooke (my Lady) Polixenes for Leontes.

1828 - W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth x, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. II. 297
Poor gossip Oliver often mistook friends for enemies.

1945 - J. Agate Diary 10 July in Selective Ego (1976) 216
Yonnel..looks every inch an actor; you couldn't possibly mistake him for anything else.

Answered by Dan on July 4, 2021

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