sort out

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phrasal verb

sorted out; sorting out; sorts out

: 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.

: 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.

: 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.

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

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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

Listen to this article Loading your audio article A tidal wave of home and auto insurance premium increases in Connecticut is sparking a surge of complaints to state regulators and prompting an outcry on social media as consumers work to sort out double-digit hikes in their policy renewals. —

Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2024 The Comcast deal leaves Diamond with 11 of its top 12 carriage deals sorted out, with the RSNs remaining dark only on Altice USA’s Optimum cable systems. —

Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 July 2024 Director Mike Reilly does a lucid job of sorting out the play’s diptych structure. —

Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024 Beyond the environmental issues, there are additional concerns that will need to be sorted out before deployment. —

Kat Friedrich, Ars Technica, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for sort out

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sort out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.