sort out
Britishverb
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to find a solution to (a problem, etc), esp to make clear or tidy
it took a long time to sort out the mess
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to take or separate, as from a larger group
he sorted out the most likely ones
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to organize into an orderly and disciplined group
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informal to beat or punish
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most prediction-market firms, such as Kalshi, sort out disputes and ambiguities themselves.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
"We need to sort out a lot of things, but by working together, hopefully, we can get things done without damaging vital services that residents value."
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The production feels like a jumble, and the casting doesn’t help sort out the mess.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Kansanback said dealers handle the tax and registration logistics routinely and have web-based tools to sort out what’s required state by state.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
It’s a lot harder, I found, to sort out a human microsystem when you’re looking up at it from the bottom, and, of course, a lot more necessary to do so.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
