sort out

sort out

Verb

1. to find a solution to (a problem): did they sort out the mess?

2. to take or separate (things or people) from a larger group: to sort out the wheat from the chaff

3. to organize (things or people) into an orderly and disciplined group

4. sort someone out to deal with a person, especially an awkward one

5. Informal to punish or tell off (someone)

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	sort out - arrange or order by classes or categories; "How would you classify these pottery shards--are they prehistoric?" class, classify, assort, sort, separate unitise, unitize - separate or classify into units; "The hospital was unitized for efficiency" catalogue, catalog - make an itemized list or catalog of; classify; "He is cataloguing his photographic negatives" isolate - separate (experiences) from the emotions relating to them refer - think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another; "This plant can be referred to a known species" reclassify - classify anew, change the previous classification; "The zoologists had to reclassify the mollusks after they found new species" size - sort according to size dichotomise, dichotomize - divide into two opposing groups or kinds stereotype, pigeonhole, stamp - treat or classify according to a mental stereotype; "I was stereotyped as a lazy Southern European" group - arrange into a group or groups; "Can you group these shapes together?" categorise, categorize - place into or assign to a category; "Children learn early on to categorize" grade - determine the grade of or assign a grade to number, count - put into a group; "The academy counts several Nobel Prize winners among its members"
	2.	sort out - make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear; "Could you clarify these remarks?"; "Clear up the question of who is at fault" crystalise, crystalize, crystallise, shed light on, crystallize, elucidate, illuminate, enlighten, straighten out, clear up, clear clarify, clear up, elucidate - make clear and (more) comprehensible; "clarify the mystery surrounding her death"
	3.	sort out - punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience; "The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently" discipline, correct penalise, penalize, punish - impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on; "The students were penalized for showing up late for class"; "we had to punish the dog for soiling the floor again"