sort out

present singular third person sorts out · participle present sorting out · participle past sorted out · past sorted out

1. transitiveTo clarify by reviewing mentally.

   It's a bit confused at the moment, I'll try to sort it out later.

2. transitiveTo arrange.

   Could you call Dave and sort out a meeting for tomorrow?

3. transitiveTo fix (a problem).

   The computer won't let me delete that file; could you sort it out?

4. transitiveTo organise or separate into groups, as a collection of items, so as to make tidy.

   Could you sort out your wardrobe and put the clothes you no longer use in one pile to give away and another to throw away?

5. transitiveTo separate from the remainder of a group; often construed with from.

   We need to sort out the problems we can solve from the ones we can't.

   1 more example

   They've already sorted out the students in group A, so we just need to worry about groups B and C.

6. UKslangtransitiveTo take action to stop someone who has been causing trouble, often by physically attacking them.

   If you do that again, I'll soon sort you out.

   1 more example

   Most of the babies and kids would be put to bed by one of the adults and left on their own. Every half an hour a bluecoat would walk around the aisles and if they heard crying from your chalet they would put your block and chalet number on a board to the right of the stage. The first few times I went to a proper church and saw the hymn order to the side of the pulpit I wondered why nobody was going to sort out those kids.

   2016, Jon Bounds, Danny Smith, Pier Review: A Road Trip in Search of the Great British Seaside

7. UKslangTo provide (somebody) with a necessity, or a solution to a problem.

   We really need to sort Chris out with a girlfriend.

   1 more example

   Hey man, I want some weed. —I'll sort you out, mate.