Word Study
sort out
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Verb sort out has 3 senses
- sort out(v = verb.cognition) assort, class, classify, separate, sort - arrange or order by classes or categories; "How would you classify these pottery shards--are they prehistoric?" is one way to categorise, categorize
- sort out(v = verb.cognition) clear, clear up, crystalise, crystalize, crystallise, crystallize, elucidate, enlighten, illuminate, shed light on, straighten out - make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear; "Could you clarify these remarks?"; "Clear up the question of who is at fault" is one way to clarify, clear up, elucidate
- sort out(v = verb.social) correct, discipline - punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience; "The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently" is one way to penalise, penalize, punish
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s something
Sample sentence:
Somebody ----s somebody
THESAURUS
sort out
analyze, answer, appraise, ascertain, assess, assort, assure, bolt, bottom, catalog, categorize, certify, cinch, clarify, class, classify, clear up, clinch, cogitate, collate, contradistinguish, cordon, cordon off, crack, cull out, debug, decide, decipher, decode, demarcate, demark, determine, differentiate, discriminate, disembroil, disentangle, disintricate, disinvolve, dismiss all doubt, distinguish, divide, divine, do, dope, dope out, draw the line, ensure, establish, evaluate, excogitate, explain, factor, fathom, figure out, find out, find the answer, find the solution, fix, gauge, get, get at, get right, ghettoize, gin, give thought to, gradate, grade, group, guess, guess right, have it, hit it, identify, insulate, insure, interpret, isolate, keep apart, keep aside, lay aside, make certain, make no doubt, make no mistake, make out, make sure, make sure of, mark the interface, nail down, open the lock, pick out, plumb, psych, psych out, put aside, puzzle out, quarantine, rank, ravel, ravel out, reason out, reassure, remove all doubt, resolve, riddle, screen, screen out, seclude, see that, see to it, segregate, select, separate, set a limit, set apart, set aside, set at rest, set off, settle, sever, severalize, sieve, sieve out, sift, sift out, size, solve, sort, split hairs, subdivide, subordinate, subtilize, think about, think out, think through, thrash, thrash out, thresh, unbraid, unclutter, uncoil, undo, unknot, unlock, unmix, unravel, unriddle, unscramble, unsnarl, untangle, unthread, untwine, untwist, unweave, unwind, weigh, winnow, work, work out
For further exploring for "sort out" in Webster Dictionary Online