To sort out is to fix a messy problem and put things in order. The pile becomes categories, and the muddle becomes a plan.
It is one of the most useful phrases in British English and covers everything from a drawer to a dispute. It splits round an object. Sorting somebody out has two quite different meanings depending on tone, since it can mean helping them or threatening them, and only the voice decides. Getting yourself sorted means getting organised, and a sort-out is a session of tidying.
1phrasesort outTo resolve a problem or put something in order.
“Give me an hour to sort out the paperwork.”
Also accepted in games: resolve
Practised in Phrasal Verbs, A Man Called Ove
First appears in chapter 7 of A Man Called Ove.
Practise this word