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

Between Peppermint Party inviting the Peanuts gang to Charlie Brown's house and Snoopy cooking up his own version of a Thanksgiving meal with Woodstock, the ragtag group of friends has quite a bit to sort out on Turkey Day, especially Charlie Brown, who was supposed to visit his grandmother. —Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025

But for electric vehicles, which demand both high energy capacity and long cycle life, scientists and battery researchers still need to sort out a workable balance. —Golareh Jalilvand, The Conversation, 12 Nov. 2025

In most economies, the market would sort out this mess by culling the weakest players. —Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025

The halt in funding has sent district leaders scrambling to sort out their finances and keep their doors open, school officials previously told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. —Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 11 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for sort out

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