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

His first time having any sort out outing coming out of the bullpen was this spring training. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

Keep your receipts, sort out your priorities and steer clear of expectations. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025

From where to stay to how to fund the journey, there were a lot of logistics to sort out. —Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2025

The two rappers have three children together and are still sorting out a divorce after Cardi filed in July 2024. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for sort out

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