Phrase guide

get one's wires crossed

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To get confused or mixed up about another person's intentions; to misunderstand one another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive

Examples

  • We got our wires crossed so I went to the bus station and she headed to the railway station.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the early days of telephony, when touching wires could reroute conversations.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: недоразумение (nedorazumenie) — to misunderstand one another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雞同鴨講 /鸡同鸭讲 (jītóngyājiǎng) — to misunderstand one another
  • French: avoir un malentendu — to misunderstand one another
  • French: s'emmêler les pinceaux — to misunderstand one another
  • German: einander missverstehen — to misunderstand one another
  • German: an einander vorbeireden — to misunderstand one another
  • Russian: не так поня́ть друг дру́га (ne tak ponjátʹ drug drúga) — to misunderstand one another
  • Spanish: cruzársele los cables (a alguien) — to misunderstand one another