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).
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
Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
Even with production sorted out, the shipping is circuitous.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 16 May 2024
The six-team field is set, but there’s still plenty to sort out.
—Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2024
Omega has truly sorted out its Speedmaster bracelets, and the Co-Axial escapement inside the caliber 3861 movement is among the many high-tech features on view through the crystal caseback.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 16 May 2024
McIlroy, who became the staunchest defender of all things PGA, got blindsided by the Tour’s awkward handshake with LIV that still is being sorted out.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2024
The stipulation is mandated in the Hatch-Waxman Act, a federal law used to sort out patent infringement cases that can delay the arrival of lower-cost generics in medicine cabinets.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 13 May 2024
Bill Hammond, a senior fellow at the Empire Center for Public Policy, a nonpartisan New York think tank, said policymakers should focus on better strategies to protect patients from infectious outbreaks, rather than leaving it up to the courts to sort out liability years later.
—Fred Schulte | Kff Health News, ABC News, 11 May 2024
But whatever the structural things still to be sorted out, this is very rich and lovely writing, nuanced and humanistic and looking at this fraught topic in a very fresh way.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2024
Phrasal verb
Now, that gets sorted out much earlier, in state caucuses and primaries.
—Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
Even with production sorted out, the shipping is circuitous.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 16 May 2024
The six-team field is set, but there’s still plenty to sort out.
—Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2024
Omega has truly sorted out its Speedmaster bracelets, and the Co-Axial escapement inside the caliber 3861 movement is among the many high-tech features on view through the crystal caseback.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 16 May 2024
McIlroy, who became the staunchest defender of all things PGA, got blindsided by the Tour’s awkward handshake with LIV that still is being sorted out.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2024
The stipulation is mandated in the Hatch-Waxman Act, a federal law used to sort out patent infringement cases that can delay the arrival of lower-cost generics in medicine cabinets.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 13 May 2024
Bill Hammond, a senior fellow at the Empire Center for Public Policy, a nonpartisan New York think tank, said policymakers should focus on better strategies to protect patients from infectious outbreaks, rather than leaving it up to the courts to sort out liability years later.
—Fred Schulte | Kff Health News, ABC News, 11 May 2024
But whatever the structural things still to be sorted out, this is very rich and lovely writing, nuanced and humanistic and looking at this fraught topic in a very fresh way.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near sort out
Cite this Entry
“Sort out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sort%20out. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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