mixed message
noun1
Idiomatic Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motive or intent; incongruence between somebody's actions and words.
- Don't you think it's sending a mixed message for the magazine to put "Lose Five Pounds in A Month" right next to "Ten Easy Desserts"?
- Of late, many who are wary of the vaccine say they have become more confused by what they see as mixed messages from federal health agencies and the White House.2021 October 11, Jan Hoffman, “Boosters Are Complicating Efforts to Persuade the Unvaccinated to Get Shots”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
- Related terms
- double standard, mixed signal, oxymoron, read between the lines