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

As a result of the confusion, retrospective press accounts have blended events from July 17 and 18 into a single narrative that may never be sorted out. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 9 July 2025

Red Bull is still sorting out the issues with the RB21, and extra testing on the car has led to driver Max Verstappen struggling to control the car consistently. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025

In the rush to deploy AI, many companies appear to be leaving it to their teams to sort out the details. —Forbes Research, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

But there’s a lot left for the schools and the athletes to be sorted out. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 June 2025

Rhymes for sort out

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