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
Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
What was once a messy divide between Democrats and Republicans has become increasingly sorted out, with religious, ideological, class and social divisions all mapping neatly onto partisan lines.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
My family hadn’t gathered in Montana to sort out the accumulation of debris that made up my life.
—Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 2 Apr. 2024
Agents are still sorting out what this might mean for their business.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 22 Mar. 2024
Kollar-Kotelly ruled that a magistrate judge could sort out whether those diarylike messages had to handed over.
Stanley Woodward, one of Navarro’s employees, also represents a Trump aide accused of helping the former president hide classified documents after leaving the White House.
—Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
As aviation companies work to bounce back after the pandemic, sorting out these issues is crucial.
—Stoyan Mitov, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Those replays took several minutes each to sort out.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
Then the whole mess gets sorted out Friday and Saturday in the final games of the regular season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Phrasal verb
Jasmine and Gino had a lot to sort out on Sunday’s episode of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
What was once a messy divide between Democrats and Republicans has become increasingly sorted out, with religious, ideological, class and social divisions all mapping neatly onto partisan lines.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
My family hadn’t gathered in Montana to sort out the accumulation of debris that made up my life.
—Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 2 Apr. 2024
Agents are still sorting out what this might mean for their business.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 22 Mar. 2024
Kollar-Kotelly ruled that a magistrate judge could sort out whether those diarylike messages had to handed over.
Stanley Woodward, one of Navarro’s employees, also represents a Trump aide accused of helping the former president hide classified documents after leaving the White House.
—Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
As aviation companies work to bounce back after the pandemic, sorting out these issues is crucial.
—Stoyan Mitov, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Those replays took several minutes each to sort out.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
Then the whole mess gets sorted out Friday and Saturday in the final games of the regular season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 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 24 Apr. 2024.
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