sort out

1 of 2

phrasal verb

sorted out; sorting out; sorts out

1

: to understand or find (something, such as a reason or a solution) by thinking

I'm trying to sort out a way to do it.

2

: to find an answer or solution for (something)

He's still trying to sort out his problems.

We need to get these problems sorted out as soon as possible.

They couldn't come up with a solution and decided to wait to see whether problem sorted itself out.

3

: to solve the problems of (someone)

They're still trying to sort their son out.

I just need a little more time to sort myself out.

4

British, informal : to deal in a forceful way with (someone who is causing problems)

I told my brother they were bullying me, and he promised to sort them out (for me).

sort-out

2 of 2

noun

British

: an activity in which someone makes a room, closet, etc., neat and organized

Let's have a sort-out of the attic.

Examples of sort out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Phrasal verb

There's going to be a lot of sorting out to do for all these presidents. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026

Addae and her team are now working with UCLA Health's Skin of Color Clinic to sort out how the new ZnO particles affect the skin's microbiome as a first step toward making a commercially viable product. —New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2026

The bottom of the roster must be sorted out, in addition to the daily happenings of 29 other teams. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026

Businesses and scientists use other programs to do everything from write code to solve tax issues to sort out legal precedents. —Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for sort out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout